A Gift in Sickness
by psycho chibbi
Summary: Haruka becomes angry when he discovers Kantarou was cursed in the form of a serious fever. That anger is twisted into a confused fear when Kantarou offers a gruesome gift in the midst of his delirium. A gift Haruka is too tempted to take. *Finished*
1. Sparkle

**A Gift in Sickness**

_by:a psycho chibi named Wendy_

_Disclaimer__: _No characters are mine, yadda yadda yadda, IstoleHaruka'steabowl, yadda yadda yadda

_Warnings_:Language, Gruesome topics, Shounen-ai

_Pairing__: _Haruka/Kantarou fluffy bits here and there

_Summary__: _Haruka becomes angry when he discovers Kantarou was cursed in the form of a serious fever. That anger is twisted into a confused fear when Kantarou offers a gruesome gift in the midst of his delirium. A gift Haruka is too tempted to take.

_AuthorRant__:_ Woot, my first Tactics fic. Let's just see where my ramblings take me.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 1

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"Kan-chan?"

The wind lightly rustled the large green leaves hanging high above his head. His glazed eyes focused on the way they seemed to shift and flow like water. "Leaves like water... How pretty..." he mused quietly as a faint smile twitched onto his lips.

"Kan-chan? What's wrong...?"

The wind blew past again, chilling his flushed skin and making his pale hair catch the light of the sun. He heard another voice calling his name, but it sounded muffled. His eyes drifted past the leaves to the cloud flecked sky high above. "The sky looks so peaceful... Wonder what it would be like..." he whispered as his hands clenched into fists. His joints began to ache softly. His muscles were sore, and he tried hard to suppress the urge to cough.

"Kantarou?"

Red clouded eyes went out of focus for a moment. Making the pale brow furrow in confusion. "It's getting harder to see..."

"Kantarou..."

There was that voice again. It sounded annoyed. "Wonder why... Wait... Isn't that my name...?"

"Kantarou! Snap out of it!"

Jolting back to reality, crimson eyes blinked in a daze when he was jostled roughly. "What?! What is it?" Kantarou asked as he tried to stop the arms shaking him.

When his master was finally back to his senses, Haruka held him at arms length and looked into the unusually glossy eyes. "What's wrong with you? Youko's been trying to get your attention for ten minutes." the tengu stated with a frown. His master was scatterbrained, but something was seriously off. There was a strange presence lingering around the pale man. One that Haruka didn't like.

It seemed to take the normally quick witted folklorist a moment to even register that a question had been asked. It took another moment before he was smiling and waving it off. "Oh, just got lost in thought for a minute. What did you need, Youko?"

The kitsune frowned in concern as she approached her master. "Kan-chan... You were the one that wanted to ask Sugino-sama something, remember...?" she reminded him while gesturing towards the white tengu standing behind her.

Even Sugino seemed uneasy about the human's behavior. "What the hell is with you, Ichinomiya? First you have Demon eater drag me all the way down here, now you go all spacey on me. What did you want to ask me?"

Kantarou's face went blank as he ran his hand through his hair uneasily. "I... I sent Haruka for you..?"

Sugino raised an eyebrow at the strange waver in the normally steady voice. "Yeah... Demon eater made it sound really important... What did you want to ask me?" he repeated as he clutched Muu-chan a bit closer to him.

For some reason his heart was pounding loudly in his ears and his throat tightened. "I... I don't remember...Heh.. Isn't that funny...?" Kantarou chuckled nervously, but it quickly turned into a hoarse coughing that shook his thin frame hard.

"Kan-chan! Are you alright?" Youko asked as she went to her master's side. "You've been coughing like that for days now... Are you getting sick?"

The silver head quickly shook. "No! No, I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry. I-" He was about to continue when he felt a light weight on top of his head. "Huh...?" He glanced up to see a familiar green face. "Muu-chan?"

Sugino blinked and looked down at his arms to see that he was cradling thin air. "Wah!! Muu-chan! How could you?!" he wailed, flapping his arms dramatically.

Ignoring her spastic husband, Muu-chan placed her tiny green arm on Kantarou's forehead. It stayed there for a second before a little line of smoke came drifting up followed by a faint sizzling sound. "MUU!!" she seemed to yelp while waving her reddened arm rapidly to cool it down.

The moment she saw that, Youko moved forward to place her own hand on Kantarou's forehead. The moment she did her eyes widened. "Kan-chan! You're burning up with a fever!" She didn't give him time to protest as she began feeling his cheeks and his neck before taking hold of his hands and arms. "Your entire body is over heated! Why didn't you say anything?!"

Kantarou smiled weakly. "I didn't want to worry you... I felt fine this morning..."

"He's lying."

The soft voice had them turning to see Rosalie walking out from the house and into the garden. She was in one of her elaborate lace dresses again, but it was solid black. It looked as if she was about to attend a funeral, but in her arms there was a white cat plush toy that she was holding tightly.

Haruka looked between the girl and his master suspiciously. "What is he lying about?"

Rosalie pointed at the folklorist with her usual blank expression. "He has been ill for a week."

A frustrated pout formed on Kantarou's face from being outed. "Rosalie-chan! You promised not to tell!" he whined lightly.

"A week?!" Youko repeated, tempted to throttle the ill man. "Why the hell have you gone a week without saying anything?!"

"Because the doctors can't cure it..." Rosalie whispered softly.

Youko froze in shaking her master and stared at the girl. "W-what...?"

Now feeling actual concern, Haruka moved to the blonde girl and sat on his heels to be at her eye level. "Why can't the doctors cure it?"

Kantaro frowned deeply as he gave the small girl a pleading look. "Rosalie-chan.. Please..."

The girl looked at her ill friend for a moment before looking back to the serious gaze the tengu had on her. "He was cursed."

"Cursed? By who? When?" Sugino asked as he moved closer to the blonde girl as well.

Rosalie had to shake her head. "I don't know. I only helped him home after it happened."

His eyes narrowing deeply, Haruka stood and moved stiffly to his master. He fisted his hands into the front of his kimono and nearly lifted him off the ground as he looked into the glazed eyes. "What happened?" he asked on a growl.

His head became dizzy from the sudden movement, but Kantarou still winced at the angry glare fixed on him. "A.. An old friend of mine... She tends to a small shrine dedicated to Jizo... Her town was being afflicted with a strange sickness that no one could find the cause of. She was able to keep them from dying, but they wouldn't get better. I found a guy that worshiped Ekibiogami on the edge of town... He was cursing the people as sacrifices. I was able to stop him... But.."

"But he cursed you..." Haruka finished as his anger flared. Why didn't his master tell him about this?

Kantarou was quick to put up another weak disarming smile. "You really shouldn't worry.. My friend was able to help me break through all the curses. The sickness just has to run its course, then I'll be fine. Everyone in her town is already better." he pointed out quickly to ease any concern.

"But they were probably all in bed resting! You've been running all over Japan the past week!" Youko snapped, her own concern turning into anger.

Now becoming irritated, Kantarou was about to speak, but a piece of cloth was suddenly shoved into his mouth. "Mmmph!! Mrruuph!" he cried out in alarm.

Tying the handkerchief firmly around his master's head to gag him, Haruka pulled loose the ribbon that was around his shirt collar and roughly spun Kantarou around. Then catching both of the pale wrists, he bound them together tightly with the burgundy ribbon behind his master's back. "There. Now you can't order us to leave you alone." he stated in what seemed like satisfaction as he turned the startled man back around.

"Wow..." Sugino whispered in wide eyed wonder. "Tying up your master.. You're so cool, Demon eater!!" he nearly squealed while grinning evilly at the obviously pissed folklorist.

Kantarou could only growl around the gag, but it turned into another light fit of coughing. _'He's gonna pay for this...'_ he mumbled within his own mind.

Ignoring the death glare from his master, Haruka snatched up the annoying green youkai from atop the silver head and carelessly chucked her over his shoulder.

"Muu muuu!!" she cried out in displeasure as she sailed through the air.

"Muu-chan!!" Sugino gasped in horror as he scrambled to catch her. Once she landed safely in his arms, the white tengu sighed in relief, but was soon glaring at Haruka. "I take back everything nice I said, you bastard!"

Still ignoring him, Haruka pushed Kantarou to the kitsune. "Here. Get him in bed. Tie him down if you have to, but don't remove the gag."

A bit shocked at Haruka's behavior, Youko couldn't deny that his methods worked. "Right. Come on, Kan-chan. You need to rest." She guided her still glaring master to the back porch and smiled down at Rosalie. "Would you like some tea, Rosalie-chan?"

The small girl nodded. "Yes, please."

Once the three were inside, Sugino looked curiously at Haruka. "You're really mad at him right now... Aren't you?" he asked when he saw the glare was still on the black tengu's face.

Haruka nodded slightly. "It angers me when he keeps things like this hidden from me... I knew something was wrong, but he always brushed off my questions... It... It makes me feel..."

"Helpless?" Sugino offered. The way Haruka's eye twitched let him know that he had gotten it right. "You're worried that one of these days it's going to be really serious... And when the truth gets out it'll be too late."

Those words made Haruka's teeth clench as his heart pounded a bit harder. "I don't like this feeling... It's his own damn fault for being stubborn but I feel... Guilty..." He looked to his fellow tengu in frustration. "Why do I feel guilty?"

A sad frown fell over Sugino's face as he readily thought of the reason. _'But.. I can't tell him...'_ "I'm sorry, Demon eater... You're going to have to figure that out on your own."

Haruka was about to demand an answer when a flurry of white feathers blocked his vision. He looked up to see Sugino carrying Muu-chan off into the sky. "Sugino..." he growled deeply.

"Let me know if that idiot master of yours remembers his question!" Sugino called out before he flew out of sight.

His eye twitching even harder now, Haruka stomped his way back inside. He saw Rosalie sitting at the table with a cup of tea, and she readily pointed towards Kantarou's room. In an odd way, Rosalie was the only human that ever really made any sense to him. She was young, but she was blunt. He liked blunt. Why couldn't Kantarou be blunt?

He quickly made his way to his master's room, and was confused when he saw Youko standing at the door frowning deeply as she looked inside. "What's wrong? Did he put up a fight?" He half way expected that she did have to tie him up.

Youko looked at the tengu sadly before pointing to the room. "Look..." she whispered.

Haruka raised a brow and moved to stand next to her. He glanced inside the room briefly, but had to do a double take and stared at what he saw. "K... Kantarou...?"

Laying on his futon on his side, Kantarou's eyes were barely open as he breathed raggedly around the gag. His body was trembling hard, and large beads of sweat were rolling down his burning face. He looked so weak and helpless that Haruka felt badly for tying him up like that.

"Haruka-chan... Can we untie him..? He looks like he's in pain..." Youko whispered as her eyes started to mist over in worry.

Not answering, Haruka moved into the room and knelt down in front of his master. He hesitantly reached out to brush away the unruly bangs from his eyes, but his eyes widened when he brushed against his forehead. "He's even hotter than before... Youko, get a wet cloth and a bowl of cold water.. We need to cool him down..." He didn't pay attention to her response or her rushed footsteps that followed. He kept his eyes locked on the exhausted expression on the pain riddled face.

"Kantarou? Can you hear me?" He watched with a deep frown as those crimson eyes slowly looked in his direction. "If I take out the gag will you promise not to resist?" The faint nod he received was all he needed to convince him. He gently removed the gag and felt his chest tighten when Kantarou began to pant lightly for breath. _'He.. He's really sick...'_ He had held out the hope that this was just another of the writer's twisted games to test him, but the grimaces and the wheezing breaths were too real.

"Ha.. Haruka...?"

Jolted out of his thoughts by the weak voice, Haruka looked down only to be alarmed by the frightened expression on the flushed face. "I'm here.. What is it?"

Kantarou shifted uncomfortably and glanced around nervously. "Why... Why are my hands tied? How did I get back in my room?" he asked on a faint whimper.

"You don't remember? It was just five minutes ago..."

"Sometimes when a human gets a high fever they become delirious..."

Haruka glanced back to see Youko walk back inside with a bowl. "Delirious? So he really can't remember?"

Youko nodded sadly. "That's probably what made him forget about getting you to bring Sugino-sama..." She handed the tengu the bowl and wordlessly moved behind her master to release his hands. Once the ribbon was untied, Youko gently helped Kantarou lay down on his back. "Kan-chan...? Do you know what's going on?" she asked him slowly.

Kantarou's sweat covered brow furrowed deeply at the question. "What's going on? I... I was working on my manuscript because Reiko-san kept yelling at me again..." he pieced together between his gasps.

That answer made Youko's expression fall further. "No, Kan-chan... Reiko-san came by yesterday... Do you remember what you did this morning?" Maybe changing the question would help.

The writer frowned as he tried to recall. When his mind found nothing but a hot haze he began to panic. "I.. I don't remember.. I don't remember waking up.. I.. I don't remember anything.. Why don't I remember? What's happening?!"

"Kantarou! Calm down!"

Immediately silencing on hearing the voice, Kantarou snapped his attention to the tengu. "Haruka? I.. I don't understand.. Nn!" He gasped raggedly when all of his muscles seemed to tense up tightly. His body curled up into a ball as tears of pain left his eyes. "It hurts... Haruka..? I'm scared..." he whimpered before convulsing with harsh coughs.

His heart now pounding in his ears, Haruka found himself only acting. He didn't remember scooping the writer into his arms, but he held him tight. He felt hot tears soaking through his jacket as weak shaking hands clutched at his shirt. "I'm here... I'm here, Kantarou..." he whispered as he gently rocked back and forth with his master cradled against him.

Youko was stunned at the amount of emotion the normally distant tengu showed, but after a moment of watching she smiled sadly. _'I just wish it didn't take Kan-chan's pain for Haruka-chan to realize how much he cares for him...' _She waited until Haruka effectively calmed their ill master before she moved to stand. "The wet cloth won't be enough. Kan-chan needs a cool bath. I'll go fill the tub. I'll return when it's filled." With that she quietly left the two alone.

However Haruka couldn't care less what she said or did. His arms tightened around his master and buried his face in his sweat dampened hair. Despite the pain Kantarou was in, Haruka found himself liking the faint scent of the silver hair. In fact he liked the color of it as well. It always seemed to glow in the sun light. _'The texture is nice too... So soft...'_ he thought while absently running his fingers through it. It didn't really occur to him what he was really doing. He was enjoying it, and the way Kantarou began breathing easier and cuddled closer meant that the action was easing his pain as well. He didn't think much else of it.

"Haruka..?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry..."

Pausing in his motions, Haruka pulled away slightly to look into the feverish gaze. "For what?"

A weak smile formed on his face as he clutched tighter to his shirt. "For not telling you... For being so stubborn... For being such a burden on you..." he finished as a few more tears slipped from his eyes.

Those words made a hard lump form in Haruka's throat. "You're not a burden... You're just delirious. It's the fever talking." he insisted while gently cupping the flushed cheek.

Kantarou frowned, but leaned into the kind touch. "Whatever you say, Haruka... I'm so tired..." he mumbled as his eyes drifted closed.

"Hey.. Wake up. You can't sleep yet."

A cute little whine left the writer as a pout formed. "You're so mean, Haruka..." His eyes cracked open as a smile curled his lips. "But... I'm glad you're still with me..."

Haruka's breath hitched slightly as he looked into the half lidded eyes. Tears were still welling up from the crimson depths, but they seemed brighter. Like shiny red crystals in two pools of water. Sparkling in the light. _'Why are his eyes sparkling...? I.. I've never seen them sparkle before...'_ He had to resist the urge to touch the still teary orbs and instead fisted his hands tighter in his master's sweat dampened clothes. A strong urge to have that red sparkle in his hands made his breath quicken. Then disturbing images of holding one of Kantarou's red hued eyes to the sunlight like a glass marble filled his head.

Kantarou frowned when he thought he saw the tengu wince. "Haruka...? Are you okay?"

'_Leave it to him to be concerned about me when he's sick as hell..'_ Haruka thought ruefully. "I'm fine... Come on, you need a cold bath to lower your temperature."

As he was lifted into the strong arms, Kantarou hid his face back against Haruka's shoulder. _'You're still horrible at lying, Haruka... But... I would be sad if you ever became good at it.. I'm a horrible influence on you...'_ "I'm sorry..."

"What?"

"Nothing..."

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Night had settled hours ago, but Haruka wasn't going to let himself rest. He dipped the cloth in his hand back into the bowl of water on the floor next to him. His hands slowly wrung out the excess before gently wiping the sweat off his master's face.

He could still hear the gasps and the short scream that Kantarou gave when he sat him in the bath. He had no idea that cool water could be painful to a human with a high fever. He knew it would be uncomfortable, but then he realized that even the cool water had to feel like being incased with ice on his super heated skin. That guilt that was clawing his mind grew stronger with every pained whimper that followed.

What was worse was that he couldn't do anything. He couldn't fight off a fever. Only Kantarou could pull himself through this. All Haruka could do was watch and be there when his master called.

"Haruka..."

Immediately picking up the pale hand, Haruka clasped it gently. "I'm here... You should be resting."

Crimson eyes opened and stared at the ceiling above. "I'm trying... But everything hurts... Hurts to breathe..." he rasped out, his free hand moving up to run through his soaked hair.

Haruka found himself gently petting the pale hand in his grasp. "Is there anything I can do? Should I go find a doctor anyway?"

"It won't do any good... This curse is a stubborn one... Medicines will only slow the healing process... The evil energy is what's making me sick.." Kantarou moved to look up at the Tengu. "I'm sure you've sensed it by now."

"I have... I've felt something for the past few days..." Feeling worse now that he knew, Haruka bowed his head. "So your body and own energy are fighting off the evil energy of the curse?"

Kantarou nodded as he returned to looking at the ceiling. He really couldn't see anything, but he kept his eyes open anyway. "Medicines mess with a human's body... Changes how it naturally acts... A curse does a similar thing... Mixing the two would do more harm than good..."

A soft hum left Haruka when he noticed something. "You're a lot more coherent... Does that me you're out of the delirium stage?"

The writer chuckled lightly and shook his head. "No... I'm delirious as hell right now... I won't remember any of this..." He looked back to the tengu and smiled warmly. "I won't remember you being so kind to me... That makes part of me sad..."

The words coupled with those still sparkling eyes made Haruka forget how to breathe for a moment. "You.. Your eyes... How can they sparkle in the dark?" he asked quietly. There wasn't even a moon outside the open window. How could those red depths seem to glow?

Another giggle left Kantarou as he gripped the hand holding his. "It's the fever... It sometimes makes a human's eyes brighter... Some say that fever is the beautiful death... The body seems to glow even after a person dies.... Because that warmth and color lingers for so long..."

Haruka gritted his teeth and forced himself to look away from the smiling gaze. "Don't talk like that. You said you would be fine."

"I will, I'm just rambling. Delirium, remember?" Kantarou mused aloud.

"Well stop it. I don't like it when you say things like that."

"Haruka... Look at me..."

Having to obey since his name was used, Haruka was immediately entranced by those sparkling red eyes. "Yes?"

Kantarou was silent for a moment as he pondered why Haruka was looking at him like that. It seemed like a strange enchantment coupled with a faint desire. _'Desire for what...?'_ Curious, he decided to guess. "You love things that sparkle..."

"Yes..." Haruka answered quietly.

"Does that mean you love my eyes right now?"

The question made his throat tighten, but Haruka forced himself to answer. "Yes... I do."

Kantarou's smile returned. "Do you want them?"

His own eyes growing wide, Haruka released the hand in his and backed away slightly. "Wh.. What kind of a question is that?"

"An honest one..." Slowly, Kantarou was able to turn enough so he could prop himself on his right elbow. He then made sure to lock his gaze with the stunned one watching him. "Do you want my eyes?"

The almost serene way it was asked made chills run down Haruka's spine. His body was soon leaning forward before he knew it. "Are you offering them to me?"

The dry lips twitched into a wider smile. "If you want them... Then they are yours... Ha. Ru. Ka."

Haruka felt himself become warm with the way Kantarou punctuated his name. "You have no idea what you're saying.. Do you expect me to just rip them out of your skull?" he asked sarcastically, but he could feel his hands twitch slightly. _'Dammit, I'm actually thinking about it.. What the hell is wrong with me?'_

"If that's what you want to do... Then do it..." Kantarou forced himself to sit up despite the pain and took hold of Haruka's larger hands. He then placed them on the sides of his face while the delicate thumbs curved just under his shimmering eyes. "Take them..." he whispered, smile still intact.

Feeling his heart pumping faster, Haruka watched as his thumbs lightly traced the curve under his master's eyes. The temptation was there. A quick flick of both wrists and the beautiful sparkle would be his. _'I.. I want to... I really want to...'_ he thought with a detached sense of horror. "Why are you doing this? If I did, it would kill you." he pointed out quickly. Not just to change his master's mind, but to change his own.

The smile on the heated face seemed to grow. "I know... I can't think of a better way to die.. Giving you something that you would love and treasure..."

"Kantarou! Stop it!" Jerking his hands away from his master's face, Haruka roughly stood and turned around. He couldn't keep looking at those eyes or the temptation would force him to do it. "Why..? Why are you saying things like that? Why are you offering me things that will hurt you?" he questioned on a shaking breath. He knew those sparkling eyes were still watching him. Just thinking about his eyes made his fists clench.

That blissful smile was still on the writer's face as he watched the tengu. His tengu. "Haruka... The only thing I've ever wanted is to make you happy... If it will make you happy, then it's worth any price..."

"You're insane, then.. Offering to give up your life for something so stupid..." Haruka growled. "It's just the stupid fever. Once you're better the sparkle will go away."

"That's why you should take them now... Before I get better."

Feeling his anger return, Haruka had to glare at the peaceful looking man on the futon. "Just shut up! I'm not taking out your eyes!"

Suddenly the smile seemed to grow into something darker. His shining gaze narrowed as a near sadistic light now formed in the crimson eyes. "I could order you to... Haruka..."

His heart suddenly stopped at the clear threat behind the soft voice. He was close to panicking when he saw that Kantarou was being very serious. "No.. No.. Stop it.. Stop it!" he growled as he closed his eyes tightly and clamped his hands over his ears. This couldn't be happening. Why was Kantarou doing this to him? _'Is it another test...? Why am I.. Scared..?'_

The confusion and torment the black tengu displayed made Kantarou's smile turn sad. "Haruka..." When it was obvious that the tengu wasn't going to respond, Kantarou was forcing himself to stand.

Haruka was desperately attempting to calm his erratic heart beat as he tried his damnedest to ignore his master. _'Why don't I just leave...? Why am I still standing here..?'_ He wondered that briefly, but was startled when a pair a hot hands settled on his face. His eyes flew open only to widen in alarm when that red sparkle was only inches away. "Kantarou... You... You should be resting..." he stammered out weakly. The longer he looked into those eyes the more he felt his will crumble. More images of his hands covered in blood holding those eyes ran through his head. It almost made his stomach turn.

Kantarou simply stared into Haruka's dark eyes for a moment, but he seemed to be inching closer. He could feel the taller male's breath against his lips. Like a warm caress. _'Just a little further...'_ his hazy mind thought. But he stopped. Just shy of their lips brushing against one another, Kantarou stopped. He lingered there for a moment before he spoke. "Whether you take them or not... I've already given them to you. My eyes are yours, Haruka. Even if you don't hold them in your hands... They still belong to you..."

The heat off the smaller body felt good to Haruka. The words he heard made his heart thud softly. He liked them. "I... I think can live with that... You can hold them for me..." he muttered. His hands were fisting lightly in the white robes his master wore, and he had to keep himself from closing the near nonexistent space between them. _'I.. Feel like.... I want to kiss him...'_ The thought didn't seem that outrageous. Not when those eyes were looking so deeply into him.

But before he could act on the sudden impulse, Kantarou turned his head away. "I... I think I'm going to black out soon... So tired..." he mumbled as his hands slipped from the tengu's face to his strong shoulders.

When the eyelids slid closed Haruka was quick to wrap his arms around his master the moment his knees gave out. "Kantarou... Why are you so damn confusing?" he asked on a growl as he carried him back to the mattress.

A sleepy chuckle answered first. "Makes things more interesting..."

"Well.. I can't deny that..." Haruka mumbled as he pulled the thick blankets over the faintly trembling body. He gently replaced the wet cloth on the already sweat slicked forehead. "Just rest, Kantarou..."

A faint hum left the writer, but the eyes stayed closed. "I'm really sad... That I won't remember how kind you've been... Haruka...."

When his voice trailed off Haruka knew that he had finally fallen asleep. A deep breath left him as he slumped forward. His hand fisted in his hair, and his mind played through the last few minutes over and over. That sparkling crimson was still vivid in his mind even though the delicate eyelids were closed. _'They... They're mine now...?'_ Even though the words were spoken in a fever induced rant, Haruka felt strangely happy. Thinking that the human eyes that could see so much belonged to him was pleasing for some reason.

So was the knowledge that those eyes were safe behind the shadowed lids. His right hand reached out and tenderly touched the fragile skin that covered his new treasure. It felt so soft. Perfect for keeping the red sparkle safe. "Yeah... You can keep them for me..." Haruka whispered with the slightest of smiles.

Feeling his own exhaustion setting in, Haruka stood and quietly left for his room. However he would get little sleep when the warmth of his master's body refused to leave him.

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TBC

Interesting, ne?

This story is 6 chapters long.

I'll update randomly.

Later~


	2. Mark

Yo.

Time for the next bit.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 2

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"He tried to give you his eyes...?" Sugino's voice was clearly surprised as he stared blankly at the black tengu next to him.

Haruka laid back on the warm roof tiles beneath him and let out a tired sigh. "Yeah... He was delirious from the fever though. He didn't know what he was saying..." For some reason admitting that out loud made a strange hollow ache form in his chest.

"Oh..." Sugino looked up at the clouds floating by for a moment before he finally glanced back curiously. "Did you take them?"

His own eyes shooting open, Haruka sat up quickly and glared at the mountain god. "Of course not! How horrible do you think I am?!" he demanded indignantly. _'Did he really expect me to..?'_

Sugino's green eyes blinked in confusion at the show of emotion. "What? You said he gave them to you..."

"I'm not about to tear them out of his damn skull!" Haruka snapped. He felt insulted. He wasn't sure why, but he did all the same.

The mountain god was quick to wave his hands to calm his friend down. "Easy, Demon Eater... Why is this bothering you so much? This isn't like you." he pointed out with a frown.

Now that it was mentioned, Haruka knew he was right. He hunched forward and gripped tightly at his hair. "He.. He wanted me to.. Even though I told him it would kill him... He wanted me to take out his eyes... He even threatened to order me to do it..."

Black eyebrows rose in alarm. "Wow... That's pretty twisted even for him... Why did he offer you them in the first place? That's what I don't get." Sugino readily admitted.

The black tengu pulled his knees up to his chest and held them tightly. It was a protective gesture, but he didn't care. "His sickness.. It's making his eyes shine... Sparkle brightly even in the dark..." he muttered, still seeing those eyes in front of him.

Finally Sugino understood. "I see... Since you love things that sparkle... He offered you his eyes because you liked how they sparkled..."

Haruka folded his arms over his drawn up knees and rested his chin on them. "Yeah... When I kept refusing to take them... He said they were still mine. He still gave them to me. He finally backed down when I told him to keep them for me." He buried his face in the crook of his arm before letting out a frustrated growl. "I keep seeing them in my head... Like I'm under some sort of spell..." He glanced towards Sugino briefly. "Any chance that may be it? That this is just some spell he cast on me last night?"

Sugino shook his head with a look of skepticism in his eyes. "Not that I'm aware of. It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard of..." He trailed off for a moment, and couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips. "Heh... I hate to say this... But it really is a beautiful gift, if you think about it."

That left Haruka staring at the normally jaded tengu. "Beautiful gift? What do you mean?"

"Well, humans always take their sense of sight for granted. Kantarou is one of the few that cherish it. Probably because he can see into our world." Sugino started lightly. He shifted on the tiles he was sitting on so he could face the Demon eater. "Many say that the eyes show the soul. So really, by giving you his eyes... Kantarou was offering you his soul."

"His soul?" Haruka repeated on a whisper. "But why would he do that?"

The mountain god shrugged carelessly. "It's Kantarou. He's crazy to begin with. I'd say with this fever he's probably a raving lunatic." He smirked slightly as he looked back towards the sky. "But I have to admit.. The little bastard has style. Even in that state, you'd have to have iron clad trust and devotion to someone to offer up your eyes as a gift." He gave a sly glance towards Haruka. "I wouldn't blame you if you were tempted... Those red eyes of his are intriguing. I've always wondered why he looked so strange for someone that was born and raised here."

The thought soon had Haruka frowning. "I.. I've never asked him... He never speaks about it. Once.. When we were in a crowd of people they all pointed it out and started laughing... Making fun of him... He looked so scared when it was brought to his attention. Like something bad had happened before because of it."

"It may have..." Sugino mumbled. "Humans are most cruel to one another... And those are just the average ones. A guy like Kantarou who does the things that he does... He's probably been abused because of his differences."

Haruka looked at the white tengu thoughtfully. "Are you sympathetic towards Kantarou?"

Sugino visibly bristled on hearing the question. "Wha? No! Of course not! Wife stealing bastard can rot in hell.." he grumbled while folding his arms stiffly over his chest.

A faint smirk formed over Haruka's face. "Ah, back to normal. You were beginning to worry me."

"Haruka-chan? Are you up there?"

Ignoring the slight blush on Sugino's cheeks, Haruka moved to the edge of the roof and looked down into the garden. "What is it, Youko?"

The kitsune was wiping her hands on a small towel as she looked up at the tengu. "Could you go to the city and bring back some ice cream for Kan-chan? I would go, but it would melt by the time I walked back."

"Why ice cream?"

"Kan-chan can't eat anything really solid right now because he's been coughing too much. It might choke him. Plus Ice cream would help his fever." Youko explained calmly. Haruka didn't have much experience dealing with sick humans, so she was going to have to be patient.

That made sense, so Haruka nodded. "Okay. I'll get some ice while I'm out as well."

Youko instantly smiled at the gesture. "That would be great. Thanks, Haruka-chan."

Now with a task to do, Haruka stood and released his black wings. "Thanks for the talk, Sugino."

Sugino couldn't answer when the sound of strong wings pushing against the air interrupted him. He was then left watching as Haruka's form grew smaller in the distance. Once the Demon eater was far enough away, Sugino frowned deeply. Silently, he moved from the roof and flew down to the open window that led to Kantarou's room. He peeked his head inside, and readily saw the sick man panting softly under a pile of blankets.

He easily slipped inside the room and moved for the mattress. There he crouched down next to it and looked over the flushed face. The pale hair was plastered against the flushed sweat soaked face, and dark circles clung under his eyelashes. "Wow... You look like shit." he chuckled.

A weak amused hum left the shivering body. "You're always so flattering, Sugino-sama..."

Snorting, Sugino sat himself down next to the writer's bed. "Don't get used to it... So.. Demon eater told me what you did last night."

A faint frown formed over Kantarou's brow as he clutched tighter to the blankets around him. "Could you remind me? Right now I can barely remember my own name..."

The green gaze narrowed slightly. "Demon eater said you gave him your eyes..."

It took him a few seconds, but a tired smile curled the pale lips. "Yeah.. I did..."

"Did you mean it? Or are you just crazy?"

"I'm probably completely insane at this point.. But I meant what I said..." Crimson eyes cracked open before focusing on the tengu. "I want Haruka to have them if he wants them..."

Sugino was at a loss when he finally saw the brilliant shimmer that had befallen the scarlet eyes. "Damn... Now I know why he wants them... But that will go away when you get better, right?" he asked while lightly poking at the heated cheeks.

Kantarou nodded and let his eyes slip back closed. "Yeah.. I tried to talk him into taking them from me before I got better... I think that's where the insane part kicked in.." he chuckled, but it turned into a harsh cough. He hid his face under the blankets as he coughed and groaned when he was finished. "Dammit... I seriously underestimated that guy... I hate Ekibiogami followers.. They're always a pain in the ass..."

"So you've been cursed by one before?" Sugino asked curiously.

The red eyes opened slightly as he thought back. "No... A friend of mine was... I wasn't strong enough to break the curse back then... He died from the fever..." A rueful little smirk appeared the longer he thought about it. "He would probably laugh at me now... I can hear him saying 'you lazy bastard, you still haven't figured out that stupid sickness curse yet?'"

"Odd way to speak of something that sad."

Kantarou gave a weak shrug. "He was old... Almost 90... Even if I did break the curse in time, his body would never have recovered... He died with a smile... So I wasn't too sad." He glanced back to the hazy form watching him. "Was there something you needed to say..? You normally don't visit me for idle chat..."

Annoyed that he was found out, Sugino glared at the sparkling eyes watching him. "You're confusing the Demon eater again by this deal with your eyes. He thinks you've put some kind of spell on him. Have you?" he asked point blank.

At first Kantarou could only stare at him curiously. Finally he slowly shook his head. "Spell..? Sugino-sama, I can't stand without falling over... I'm in no condition to cast anything." He held up his right hand to show it was shaking almost violently. "I can't even keep my hand steady..."

Sugino wanted to believe that this could be an act, but when the writer hid his face under the blanket again to cover another hard fit of coughs he saw that it wasn't. Once Kantarou pulled the blanket back down Sugino frowned in actual concern when he saw how much redder the normally pale face was. The rasping gasps for breath sounded painful, but what made him suspicious was the fact the crimson eyes seemed even brighter than just moments before. "You're not getting better... You're getting worse..." he accused as his frown deepened.

A weak smile broke through the pain on Kantarou's face. "Yeah... The fever.. And the delirium.. Are only the first stages..." he confessed between gasps.

"First stages...? You mean this gets worse?"

The smile seemed to turn into a smirk. "Much worse... Another day... The fever will rise... I'll lose my vision... I won't be able to eat or drink anything... I'll lose all grasp of time.. The delusions will kick in, and I will be raving like a mad man...." Kantarou listed off rather calmly.

Sugino was speechless for a moment, but suddenly took hold of Kantarou's wrist. "But you said you would get better... That you would be fine..." He kept telling himself he was only concerned for the Demon eater's sake. He didn't care about the stupid human. He didn't.

Kantarou looked at the vague outline of someone holding his wrist. It was only now he realized how similar the grip was to Haruka's. The thought made him hum softly. "I will... After the night of its peak I'll get better... But... It may take a toll on me..."

Tightening his grip, Sunigo moved a bit closer to look into the near glowing eyes. "What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

The glossy eyes closed as the writer attempted to take a deep breath. "I will lose part of my memory... More than likely everything that has happened since I was cursed... But.. I may also lose my ability to see..."

"See what? Youkai?"

A little chuckle left Kantarou as he shook his head. "No.. Everything... Prolonged high fevers can cause total vision loss..."

"You'll be blind..? Is.. Is that why you wanted Demon eater to take your eyes?" Sugino asked quietly. He didn't want to feel sorry for this human. But there was a part of him that couldn't help but feel pity.

"That's what gave me the idea... I'd rather Haruka take my sight than a damn fever..." Kantarou admitted, his smile returning.

That sentiment actually made Sugino smile as well. "You're completely crazy... But... I suppose Demon eater could have done worse for a master. At least you do care."

Kantarou gave a raspy giggle as he looked back to the mountain god. "Why Sugino-sama.. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me..." he teased just to see the faint blush on the hazy face.

Sugino's feathers literally ruffled as he tried to force his anger through his embarrassment. "You wish, Ichinomiya! Not even if you were on your death bed!" He practically threw the weak wrist down and stood stiffly. He stormed his way over to the open window, but before he flew out he paused. Glancing back, he frowned at how weak and fragile the normally brazen human was. "Kantarou..."

The writer didn't even attempt to turn his head. He was too sore. "Yes, Sugino-sama...?"

"Don't.. Break the Demon eater's heart. As much as I hate to say this.. He still needs you."

A sad frown fell over Kantarou's face. "I'm trying not to, Sugino-sama... I really am..."

All he got in reply was the sound of large wings flying away. When he felt something soft land on his forehead, he reached up to pull off a long white feather from his hair. He had to hold it close to really see it, but it made him smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Sugino-sama..."

_fjfjfjfj_

Haruka found himself in a familiar position. He was sitting quietly, wiping away the sweat that seemed to pour off from his master's face. Kantarou hadn't said much when he returned, but he had found him clutching one of Sugino's feathers. It made him wonder if perhaps the mountain god said something to upset the writer, but Kantarou dismissed it as nothing.

So Haruka just kept to his task of helping Youko tend to their master.

After wringing out the water from the cloth he was using for what seemed like the millionth time, Haruka began to wonder. The fact the sweat kept forming on the red face concerned him. _'Youko said that the more he sweats the more we need to make sure he has water...'_

Deciding to fetch a glass, Haruka placed the wet cloth on the fevered forehead and stood. The entire house was quiet in the dead of the night. Youko had gone to bed a few hours ago, so nothing was stirring. It was sort of strange to be moving through the house at this time. Like there was an unusual tension that lingered in the air. As he got a glass from the cupboard he noticed how every sound he normally ignored sounded like a booming explosion in the silence. It was starting to make his eye twitch. Just filling a glass with water made him feel like he was going to wake up the entire neighborhood.

Chiding himself for his paranoia, Haruka took the glass back to his master.

On entering the room he was surprised to see Kantarou sitting hunched over his drawn up knees as he clutched at his soaked hair. The desperate gasps he heard coupled with the violent shivering had Haruka instantly worried. "Kantarou..? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked quickly as he moved to his master's side.

Kantarou kept gasping for breath, his hands gripping so tightly at his hair it looked at if he would rip it out. "Haruka... Haruka..." he mumbled over and over.

Setting the glass aside, Haruka quickly pulled the sick man into his arms. "I'm here, Kantarou.. What is it?" he whispered into the pink ear.

Leaning into the embrace, Kantarou tried to calm himself down, but his head was a in a burning daze. "Dream.. Horrible... Dammit.. I can't get the image out of my head..." he growled weakly through his teeth.

Haruka petted back the wet hair and gently rocked back and forth to ease the small man. "Shh.. It's okay... Tell me what you saw..."

He hesitated, but eventually Kantarou fisted his hands in the white shirt the tengu wore as he spoke. "I... I was turned into a demon.. And.. And I couldn't stop myself... I ripped out Youko's throat... You tried to stop me but I.. I..." Hot tears started falling from his eyes as he recalled the blood that covered the kitsune and the black tengu. "I.. I was terrified.. I couldn't stop myself.. I..."

"It was just a dream, Kantarou.. It doesn't mean anything." Haruka cut in quickly.

Kantarou let himself simply collapse into the strong arms as he tried to focus only on the deep voice. "It was so real... I'm sorry..."

'_Why is he apologizing..?'_ Haruka frowned and held on tighter. "Stop it... There's nothing to be sorry for..."

A tense silence settled over them as Haruka tried in vain to stop the trembling. When it proved to be a futile task, he turned his attention to the glass of water he had sat on the floor. He reached over to take it and had the writer sit up a bit more. "Here.. Drink. You've been sweating too much..." he mumbled while raising the glass to the chapped lips.

The water tasted strangely sweet to him, but Kantarou drank as much as he could. He had to stop soon before he choked, then returned to resting his head on Haruka's shoulder. His thoughts kept playing over the dream until it nearly made him ill. However it made a strange thought occur to him. One that made him smile. "Haruka?"

"Yes?"

When the arms tightened around him his smile grew. "If I ever really become a demon..."

"You're not going to, Kantarou." Haruka readily growled.

Kantarou gave a soft giggle. "Hm.. Just humor me... If I did.. And there was no hope of returning me to myself... I don't want you to hold back."

Haruka's heart suddenly thudded hard in his chest as his eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Pulling away from the embrace, Kantarou cupped the tengu's face like he had the night before. He made sure to look straight into the uneasy eyes as he spoke. "If I can't be reached... I want you to kill me. And eat me."

Jerking away from the grasp like he had been burned, Haruka backed away from his master on the floor. His eyes were wide in alarm and his breath became short gasps. "Wha.. What?" _'There's no way.. I didn't hear him right...' _

But Kantarou kept his heated gaze steady. "I want you to eat me... Start with my heart.. Then devour every bit... I don't want you to leave anything behind... Except my eyes..." A sweet smile filled his face. "Those belong to you."

Hearing those words coupled with the glittering eyes watching him made Haruka feel like he was about to be consumed by a strange painful heat. Just the thought of fulfilling such a request made him ill. It hurt. So much that he felt tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. "Why are you asking me to do things like this? Why do you want me to hurt you?"

"I've done a lot of things, Haruka... Some.. Probably would land me in the lowest levels of hell.." Kantarou hugged his knees to his chest and closed his eyes. "I don't like when strangers hurt me... I feel as if I'm being punished for being something I'm not supposed to be... But when I know the person that hurts me.. I understand why it's happening.. I'm able to cope with it.. Learn from it..."

Confused, but also intrigued, Haruka found himself moving closer to his master. "What are you hoping to learn from me causing you pain?"

Kantarou glanced back to the tengu and smiled warmly. "How to become a better person... You are my strength, Haruka... I know it's selfish of me to use you like that... But I've always wanted you to teach me how to make myself better... But so far I've only been a burden on you..." More tears began to fall as he continued. "I know I'm a horrible person... I don't deserve to even look at you, let alone be your master... But.. I need you... That's why if I fail... I want you to eat me.. So I could possibly make you stronger.. Become a part of you..." His eyes closed, but the tears kept rolling down his cheeks. "But I understand.. If you don't want someone as tainted as me... Just.. Just forget I said anything.." he muttered, his voice cracking as his emotions got the better of him.

The amount of torment Haruka saw seemed to hurt even more. The tone of self loathing and heartache was just too much. He ignored his own hesitations and moved back to his master. When he reached out to place his hand on the small shoulder, he was surprised when Kantarou actually winced. Unable to hold himself back, Haruka wrapped his arms back around the quaking form and held him tight.

There he buried his face in the damp hair and forced himself to speak. "If.. If it's what you truly wish me to do.. Then I will. For my master..."

On hearing the word master Kantarou covered his face with his hand and sobbed quietly. "Thank you..." he whispered brokenly.

Haruka didn't like this side of his master. He seemed so lost and hurt. He wanted the belligerent smartass back. The person that had that calm knowing smile as he walked through the world. The annoying playful flirt that constantly got him into trouble. _'I want my Kantarou back...'_ he finally admitted to himself.

Deciding to help find that person again, Haruka tilted the delicate chin up and looked into the tearful curious gaze. The eyes still captivated him, but now he found that it wasn't only the eyes that he loved. The heavily flushed face framed by the silver hair was just as beautiful. The way Kantarou always looked at him with such reverence with those crimson depths was what Haruka truly loved.

Before he could really think through what he was doing, he leaned forward and gently nipped at his master's lower lip. He enjoyed the startled gasp that rushed past the parted lips as he pulled back. He smiled at the confusion and brushed the messy bangs from the scarlet eyes. "You must still be delirious... You don't taste tainted to me..."

Kantarou blinked in astonishment for a moment, but soon a brilliant smile formed on his face that seemed to make his eyes shine even brighter. "Thank you, Haruka..." His trembling hand moved to tangle in the long silky hair at the back of the Tengu's head as Kantarou moved in to claim Haruka's lips in a tender kiss.

He hadn't expected it, but Haruka didn't resist when the hot tongue parted his lips. For some reason, Kantarou's mouth tasted sweet as his tongue was drawn into it. It was like lapping at warm honey, and he found that liked it. He wanted to taste more, but he stopped himself from taking it further when the writer pulled away. "Something wrong?" he asked, a little out of breath.

That smile was still there as Kantarou caressed Haruka's face. "Not now.. You've made me very happy tonight, Haruka... But there's something I need to tell you."

Sobering quickly, Haruka placed his hand over the one on his face. "What is it?"

His expression became rather blank as he tried to word what needed to be said. "Tomorrow... The sickness will reach it's peak... My fever will get higher, and I'll probably lose my senses..."

"What do you mean? You'll be alright, won't you?"

The concern eased some of the pain he felt, but Kantarou kept his expression calm. "I will be after tomorrow.. But tomorrow will be hell. I might lose my mind to the fever... I probably won't even recognize you or Youko... It may be best if you tied me down before the worst strikes me."

"Tie you down? How bad is this going to be?" Haruka asked as he tightened his grip on his master.

"It may be pretty horrible... I might lash out at you or Youko... Or I could have a fit and hurt myself... It's just a precaution." Kantarou added as he moved in to place soft kisses along Haruka's jaw.

Haruka's eyes slid closed while tilting his head slightly to the side. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Kantarou nuzzled his hot cheek against the soft skin of the tengu's neck, but he felt himself ready to shed more tears. "There is one thing..."

"Tell me..." Haruka softly growled as he fisted his hand in the back of the damp robes.

"Hm.. There's a good chance.. That I really won't remember any of this..." Nibbling gently at the soft ear lobe, Kantarou enjoyed the scent that came from both Haruka's skin and hair. "It'll be like this never happened. So it'll be your decision, Haruka..."

A strange empty feeling filled Haruka's chest. His eyes opened slightly and focused on the blankets tangled on the mattress. "What will be my decision?"

The folklorist kissed down the graceful neck in a weak attempt to force the taste and sensation deep into his memory. "You have to decide if you wish for things to return to the way they were before... Or risk pursuing whatever may develop between us."

The weight of such a decision was already crushing, but Haruka refused to let go of his master. "What do we do now?" he quietly asked.

"Now...? I just want to give you something nice to remember... So at least one of us will..." Kantarou pulled away to look into the Tengu's glazed eyes. "Will you let me?"

Hesitation was the first thing Haruka felt. The small man did look worse from the night before. Exhaustion was apparent on his face, and he was still struggling for breath. Haruka was certain that if he hadn't been holding him, Kantarou would have fallen over by now. "I don't want you to push yourself, Kantarou..." He took hold of the weak hands and looked seriously into the heated eyes watching him. "You're too sick... You need to rest.."

"I know..." Kantarou bowed his head for a moment as a sad expression formed. "I.. I just wish I could think of a way that would...." His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Mark me..."

The tengu blinked in confusion at the sudden command. "Mark you?"

Kantarou's head lifted with a beseeching look that was a strange mixture of a smile and a frown. "Make your mark on me..."

"My mark? But.. That would mean..."

"Haruka..." Kantarou released the larger hand and pushed the white cloth off his shoulders. "I may be your master, but my heart has always belonged to you..." He took Haruka's right hand and placed it over the scar on his chest. "Everything that I am.. Everything that I've done... Has all been with the hope that one day I would be with you."

Seeing his hand on the dark scar that marred the delicate skin made a cold chill run down Haruka's spine. "Why?" was the only word he could manage.

But the silver head shook. "I can't tell you, Haruka... It will only hurt you if I do forget..." He placed his right hand on the back of the tengu's neck and pulled him closer. He stopped when he could feel a gentle breath on his shoulder. "Please.. Mark me... As hard or as many as you wish. I want to be able to remember something... And give you something to remember."

Having the heated skin that close to his lips was tempting, but Haruka felt conflicted. It would mean bruising his master's already pain riddled body. Inflicting more pain. _'Why must he always be the one that suffers...?'_ As the question formed in his mind, an idea suddenly came to him. He reached up and began unbuttoning the white shirt he wore.

Suddenly Kantarou found himself looking at the flawless skin of the broad shoulder in front of him. "Haruka...?"

"I'll do it if you do it..." was the gruff reply.

The crimson eyes stared at the bare shoulder for a moment before he moved in. He kissed and licked along Haruka's shoulder, and felt the tengu do the same to him. It took him a moment to build up the confidence, but Kantarou opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the spot on his shoulder above the delicate collar bone. The hissing grunt he heard almost made him stop, but he heard a growling voice in his ear.

"Harder, Kantarou... Bite harder..."

Kantarou held onto Haruka firmly as he bit down harder into the tender flesh. He switched between sucking and licking the spot, and that was when he felt sharp teeth bury in his shoulder. He moaned loudly into Haruka's shoulder and lightly scratched his nails down the strong back. The way the strong arms tightened around him made so happy that more tears escaped his eyes.

Haruka wanted to release the smaller body when he felt the tears hit his skin, but he was going to hold on as long as Kantarou did. Minutes passed as they both gently kissed and soothed the angry red marks they had placed on one another. Eventually, Kantarou stopped and let his head rest on the tengu's shoulder. Haruka frowned when the trembling became more pronounced and the light gasps for breath were getting heavier. "It's getting worse.. Isn't it?"

"Yeah... I don't have much more time... Haruka... Will you do one last thing for me..?"

He hated how his master worded the question, but Haruka still kept his hand running down the hot skin of the small back. "What is it?"

Kantarou pulled away and smiled up at the demon eater. "Will you hold me for tonight...? You can leave once I fall asleep.. I... I just want you close.."

Those sparkling eyes and the weak voice ripped unmercifully into Haruka's heart. He had no clue why, but he still felt guilty for not being able to do more. It didn't seem fair. Being so entangled in the strange web the human had managed to wrap around him. However he was there, and he couldn't stop the concern that was welling up inside of him. _'He is manipulative.. Sadistic.. Conniving... Dishonest... Lazy... Probably evil as the day is long... But those eyes... I can't refuse them...'_ Without saying a word, Haruka pulled Kantarou's clothes back into place and pulled him down to the mattress. There he pulled the writer's small body against him firmly.

Kantarou was a bit surprised by the sudden movements, but he was soon smiling as he snuggled closer to his tengu. "Thank you, Haruka... And I'd like to apologize..."

"What for this time?" came Haruka's exasperated question.

"In advance for anything I may say or do tomorrow.." Kantarou clutched lightly at Haruka's unbuttoned shirt. "I might say some pretty nasty things.. Hurtful things... Please don't hold it against me..."

Haruka looked into the ruby-like eyes watching him and snorted softly with a faint smirk. "Sounds like just any other day." he teased.

The pout on the flushed face was priceless. "You're so mean, Haruka..." he whined softly before burying his face against the taller male's neck.

He was about to hum in amusement, but Haruka gasped when he felt another harsh bite on his neck below his right ear. The pain on the tender spot combined with the gentle suction and the burning tongue made his teeth clench tightly. "K.. Kantarou..." It felt good. Too good. His head was tilting, exposing more of his neck as his fists nearly ripped apart the back of the sweat damp clothes.

The moan that was cried out into his ear made Kantarou chuckle huskily as he released the bruising flesh. He then let his tongue trace around Haruka's ear as he whispered into it hotly. "Here's something else you can remember for me... If you do decide to pursue things with me afterwards... It'll make things more interesting when I want to get you back for teasing me..."

The fact Kantarou didn't even attempt to hide the lust in his voice amused Haruka for some reason. _'His voice is kind of sexy when he talks like that...'_ he admitted to himself. "Heh.. I will definitely keep that in consideration.." He pulled his master back to where he could see the shining eyes then moved in for a chaste kiss. "Mm.. Sleep now, stubborn human. I won't let you go."

A near loving smile was on Kantarou's face as he let his head rest against the tengu's chest. "Remember you said that, Haruka... Good night...."

It was surprising just how easily the human was able to fall asleep in Haruka's arms. Barely a minute passed before Kantarou was unconscious. Haruka was left holding the ill man in the silence, staring at the silver crowned head. He had thought that he would regret agreeing to do this, but a strange protective urge flared up in him once more. He liked the thought of protecting Kantarou. Keeping the overly brazen man out of trouble proved to be a constant source of entertainment.

'_But he said tomorrow would be hell...' _A frown formed over his brow as he recalled the desperate light in the crimson eyes. Kantarou was being serious, and actually feared what the fever would bring. _'For Kantarou to fear it.. It must be bad...' _

His arms tightened around his master as he buried his face in the silver hair. "I'll see that you recover... I swear that I will not let you go..."

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

TBC

Later~


	3. Shell

The worst to come.

Enjoy~

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

Chapter 3

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

The sunlight from the open window fell upon Haruka's sleep slacked features. He tried to ignore the bright warmth by burying his face into something soft and silky, but the light pulled him too far into consciousness. That and a strange huffing wheezing noise.

Now that he heard it he frowned as he tried to identify it with his eyes still closed. It sort of sounded like someone trying to gasp for breath after being under water for too long. Now that he focused on it, he felt the form in his arms was moving erratically.

Once he realized the form was moving in time with the wheezing breaths, Haruka pulled the figure away from him. "Ka... Kantarou...?"

Face flushed a bright pink, Kantarou's eyes were half lidded staring out blankly. His breathing was so hoarse that it had to be hurting his throat, and his entire body was shaking. Haruka frowned at how the red eyes seemed so much duller than they were the previous nights. They looked lifeless.

Once the thought entered his head, Haruka felt his heart thump hard in his chest. "Kantarou...? Kantarou.. Can you hear me?" The writer didn't make a move of acknowledgment, which actually frightened the tengu. "Hey.. Snap out of it... Kantarou.. Say something!" When he still received no reply he gritted his teeth and sat up.

He roughly pulled up his master with him and shook him lightly. "Dammit, Kantarou! Answer me!" As he shook his master he suddenly stopped when he noticed something. The silver head lolled back and forth bonelessly, and the dead crimson gaze never moved. _'Is.. Is this what he was warning me of...?' _

Hesitantly he reached out and took hold of the smaller hand hanging at the writer's side. He lifted it up and released it. The way it fell back down instantly like dead weight made Haruka's breath catch in his throat. "Kantarou..." His hand gently caressed the burning cheek. Those eyes that always seemed to look at him in adoration now seemed like they saw nothing at all. No spark of any kind.

"He.. He's not there.. Just a shell..." Saying those words made him feel just as empty. His emotions getting the better of him, Haruka pulled the lifeless form to him and held onto him as tight as he could. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I can't protect you..." he mumbled on a broken whisper.

The sound of the door sliding open alerted him that someone was about to see him like this, but he didn't care. _'I promised I wouldn't let him go...'_

"Haruka-chan? What are you doing with... Wha.. What's wrong with Kan-chan?" Youko's voice asked quickly.

Haruka buried his face against the cloth that covered the mark he had made on his master's shoulder. "The fever is taking over him... He's not there anymore..." he said. Voice muffled by the cloth.

Youko dashed to their side quickly. She was about to pull the ill man from the tengu, but when she saw the desperate hold Haruka had on him she bit her lip. "Haruka-chan... What happened last night?" Though he didn't answer, she easily saw his unbuttoned shirt and the two dark bruises surrounded by teeth marks that were on the once flawless skin. _'A passion mark...? If... If that happened.. Haruka-chan must be heart broken...' _she thought sadly as tears welled up in her eyes.

Pushing those feelings aside, Youko moved to the Tengu and placed her hand on his tense shoulder. "Haruka-chan...? We need to give him another bath... And get him more ice..." she told him gently.

"I'll do it... Maybe.. The water will jolt him back to his senses..." Without even looking at the kitsune, Haruka gathered his master in his arms and stood. As he carried the trembling body away, Haruka called out. "Youko.. Find something we can used as a rope..."

"A rope?!" Youko yelped. "Why do we need rope?"

Haruka paused at the door and glanced back with a shadowed look of pain on his face. "Kantarou told me that today will be the fever's peak... He may be driven mad with it... We need to be ready in case we're forced to restrain him to keep him from hurting himself."

Although she was still uncertain, Youko nodded. "Okay... I'll see what I can do..." Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she clutched tightly at the sleeves of her kimono. "He.. He's gonna be okay... Right..?"

The tengu looked at the lifeless being he held and remembered the words spoken to him. "He said he would... We just need to help him through today. Then everything will be fine." The thought of the folklorist lying to him yet again wore heavily on his mind, but he tried his best to ignore it. "Let's get going... It's going to be a long day."

"Right.. I.. I'll change the covers for his bed and then I'll get some ice." Youko stated before gathering up the sweat dampened blankets.

Haruka watched her barely keep her composure, then returned his course for the bath. He realized that the situation had to be bothering Youko just as badly_. 'Kantarou has been her master far longer than mine... They've been through a lot together.. She's probably had to take care of him every time something like this happened...' _He looked to his master's face and frowned. _'Why would he pick me over Youko....?' _It was a question that he never fully understood. The pair acted more like siblings than anything else.

Realizing those were useless thoughts, Haruka growled at himself. He needed to focus only on trying to keep Kantarou as comfortable as possible.

"You'll be fine, Kantarou... I don't care if I have to fight off death for you. I'm not going to let you go."

_fjfjfjfj_

For hours the pair of youkai did everything they could for their ill master. But cold baths and ice did nothing to soothe the raging fever. Nothing they did could stir Kantarou from the heated trance he was locked in. As the seconds ticked by they felt their fear rising. Thoughts of life without their master wore heavily on their minds despite how hard they tried to ignore it.

Haruka refused to leave his master's side, while Youko went into a mad cleaning spree to keep her mind busy. Within the first hour the house was completely spotless, but Haruka could still hear her scrubbing the floors out in the hall. He knew she made sure to linger within earshot should anything change. He also knew that she had probably seen the marks on their necks, thus why she was keeping out of the way.

In one sense he appreciated the privacy, but part of him wished that she would stay with him. This was tearing apart both of them. They never really thought of how fragile the manipulative bastard really was. Any near death brushes he had was always waved off with a joke and a smile. But now Kantarou was unable to brush off this.

'_He said he would be fine.. But he's a liar.. He's always been a liar.. What if he lied? What if he dies right in front of me from this damn fever?!' _Haruka clenched his fists tightly in his lap until his nails bit into his palms. If he lost this man would he lose himself as well? The bond between a youkai and the human that names it is said to last for eternity. But what happens to the youkai when the human dies? The name stays, as does the bond, but how can the bond be one sided? Would there be an empty pit in Haruka's soul that nothing will be able to fill?

Once the question slipped into his head he quickly decided that it didn't matter. "If it can't be Kantarou... Then I'd rather be empty.." he whispered to himself.

"Demon eater?"

Haruka closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sugino... Right now isn't the best of times." he muttered quietly.

Instantly aware of the pain that laced his friend's voice, Sugino frowned but entered through the window anyway. Muu-chan was absent, but he didn't want his delicate wife to see what was bound to be a distressing sight. The moment he caught sight of the weak shell resting on the futon he knew his caution was valid.

A deep frown fell over the white tengu's face as he moved to sit on the other side of the fallen writer. He reached out and placed his hand on the damp forehead only to feel his heart thud painfully beneath his ribs. _'Dammit.. How can this human survive such a fever?' _He wasn't about to voice the question. With the way Haruka's normally strong frame was trembling slightly, he knew that he had to keep negative comments to a bare minimum.

"Has he said anything?" he asked quietly, pulling his hand away.

"No. Not since he fell asleep last night." Haruka forced his eyes open to look at the dead red gaze that was locked perpetually forward. "It's like it's just his body here... All he can do is breathe... Even that seems like it's becoming too much for him."

Sugino bit the inside of his cheek when he heard the waver in the black tengu's voice. "Don't look like that. Kantarou's too stubborn to let a stupid fever get the best of him." he chided lightly. Even if his words angered his friend, it was better than the depressed shadow that hung over him.

However Haruka's expression seemed to turn even more somber. His hand reached for the cloth that was soaking in a bowl of water next to him. He lightly wrung out the cloth and placed it gently over the burning forehead. As he did he couldn't help but think of the time where they had journeyed to the mountain god's home to deal with that stubborn dragon.

"Hm.. When we traveled to your mountain to look for those missing children.. He was telling me the differences between black tengu and white tengu. That white tengu were human priests and shamans that were overly confident when they were alive..." The corners of his mouth twitched upwards as he finally lifted his gaze to the concerned one Sugino had locked on him. "I made a joke that Kantarou was halfway to becoming one. Do you think that would be possible?"

Sugino blinked in obvious alarm at the sudden question. He glanced down at the human between them and felt a tightness form in his throat. "Well.. As much as it pains me to admit.. He has the power and the attitude. I suppose if he had the will to want it enough, he could..." He glanced back up at the black tengu and gave a strained smile. "But would you honestly want a nut job like him to get that much power? He would make all our lives a living hell."

Haruka dropped his gaze to his master and felt his chest ache deeply. "I'd rather face a hell with him than a hell without him." he whispered.

When the demon eater reached out and tenderly brushed away the dull silvery locks from the heated face, Sugino's eyes suddenly noticed the mark beneath his friend's ear. That sight made his eyes narrow. _'Did Kantarou do that..?' _He didn't comment on it. Haruka was too unstable at this point to provoke any confrontation. _'If it was done willingly, then this human's passing will rip him apart..'_

He would deny it until his dying breath, but he was concerned about the irritating folklorist as well. His wife was already attached to him, so that meant Muu-chan would be devastated. Youko tried to act strong, but she would never recover from the loss of someone that was clearly like a brother to her. Haruka would more than likely spend the rest of his life torturing himself with the knowledge that he couldn't protect his master. _'Possibly his love..'_

And for Sugino himself...

'_Dammit.. I don't know why, but I like this bastard... He's smart.. I like fighting with him...'_ He looked back to the demon eater. _'And he brought Demon eater back into the world...' _

After hearing another painful wheeze from the human gasping for breath, Sugino felt himself moving before he even made a decision. He carefully placed his hand over the clammy skin of Kantarou's throat and closed his eyes. Haruka watched with a deep frown, but made no move to stop the white tengu. After a moment a faint glow formed around the hand on his master's neck and seemed to seep into the flushed skin. Seconds later Kantarou took in a deep breath, but it was clearer. The struggling wheezing was reduced to a faint rasp as the human began breathing a great deal easier.

Haruka's eyes widened and he immediately lifted his gaze to Sugino's now opened eyes. "What did you do?"

Sugino let out a slow breath as he pulled his hand away. "I can't do anything about the illness, but I can heal the wounds that may be a result of it. His throat and his lungs. It may not last long, but he'll be able to breathe easier for now."

Just hearing his master breathe without pain was enough to ease the tension that was coiled within every inch of Haruka's body. He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding as his hands sought out the pale one resting on the blankets. "Thank you, Sugino." he whispered as he clutched tightly to the lifeless hand.

When the demon eater bowed his head, Sugino knew he had done all he could. He slowly stood and walked around the resting human. He stopped next to the black tengu and gently placed his hand atop the bowed head. "He will be fine, Demon eater... He always says that you are his strength. He won't fall with you by his side." He didn't receive an answer but he honestly didn't expect to.

Knowing that he had done all he could, Sugino walked out of the writer's room into the hall. The moment he did he instantly spotted the kitsune curled up on the floor at the end of the hallway. Although she was hardly making a sound, he knew that she was sobbing from the way her hands covered her face and her body shook. The sight made a deep sigh leave him as he moved to the end of the hall.

He knelt down in front of Youko and petted back the soft hair between her visible fox ears. "Youko..."

She lowered her hands and looked up, heavy tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. She only looked into his concerned green eyes for a moment before she immediately leapt forward. Wrapping her arms around him tight as she buried her face against the soft robes that covered his chest. "Su.. Sugino... I'm so scared.." she whimpered, her words muffled by the cloth.

The sudden motion nearly knocked him back, but Sugino's surprise was short lived. He watched her for a moment, but found his arms wrapping around her. His right hand gently petted back her hair in a comforting gesture as he leaned in to whisper into her flattened back ear. "It'll be okay. That master of yours is strong. He'll live forever just to spite all of us."

Hearing those words made Youko give a weak giggle. "You're right... He'd be laughing at me if he saw how worked up I was getting over this." She forced herself to pull away from the tengu and scrubbed stubbornly at her still crying eyes. Once she willed the tears away, she gave the mountain god a small smile. "Would you like anything, Sugino-sama? Tea, perhaps?"

Sugino knew she needed the distraction, so he nodded. "Tea sounds good. Maybe some rice as well?" he added with a little grin as he stood.

Youko took the hand that was offered to her and was soon standing. "Sure. I'll get started on that right now."

He watched her quickly move in the direction of the kitchen. When she was out of sight he let out another sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "Damn... It's worse than I thought... Both of them will be torn to shreds without Kantarou..." He glanced back towards the writer's room and frowned deeply.

"Dammit Ichinomiya... You better make it through this..."

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TBC

Later~


	4. Hell

The true Delirium.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 4

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"Ha.. Ruka.."

Dark eyes snapped open when a weak voice cut through the silence. Haruka's gaze shot towards his ill master, but he frowned when Kantarou appeared to be still in the clutches of the fever. His dull red eyes kept staring forward, and his breaths were rasping a bit more than before. _'Sugino's healing is wearing off..'_ The thought of those harsh wheezing gasps returning was enough to tempt Haruka into searching for the mountain god, but he stayed in place.

Youko had tried earlier to get him to eat something, but he refused to move a single inch from Kantarou's side. His legs were probably numb from the position he had been sitting in for so long, but he didn't care. He silently tugged the damp cloth from the writer's forehead and dipped it back into the bowl of water. The motion seemed automatic now. In the back of his mind he was certain that someone could time a watch by his motions.

"Haruka..."

The louder call made the black tengu freeze and lock his gaze back on the human. "Kantarou?"

Kantarou's eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, but his hand began twitching. Slowly reaching out as if to find something. "Where.. Where are you, Haruka...?"

Dropping the cloth into the water, Haruka took up the trembling hand and held it tight. "I'm right here, Kantarou."

But the glazed eyes didn't flicker towards him. "Haruka... Why can't I find you..? Do.. Do you not want to be found..?"

Haruka's brow furrowed deeply at the strange words. "Kantarou, I'm right beside you. Can't you hear me?" he asked as he gently brushed his knuckles across his heated cheek.

The human made no sign that he recognized his presence. "Haruka... I've searched for so long..." Tears began welling up in the crimson eyes and rolling down the sides of Kantarou's face. "You don't want me... You don't want me as your master..." he cried out on a broken whimper.

"Kantarou! Wake up! I'm right here!" Haruka nearly shouted as he took hold of the trembling shoulders and gave them a brief shake. When the human still didn't acknowledge him, Haruka remembered the warning that his master had given him the night before. _'He said.. He might not recognize me when the fever hit its peak... Does that mean the worst has yet to happen..?'_

"Dammit... I gave up everything for you..."

Haruka froze when he heard the faint growl leave the human's throat. "K.. Kantarou?"

The heart broken expression on the fevered face suddenly turned into a vicious scowl that couldn't seem to focus correctly. "Everything.. I gave up everything for you! My family! My career! My life! I threw it all away because of you!" he seemed to snarl.

The tengu didn't have a moment to allow the shock to set in when the human began to struggle viciously against him. "Kantarou! Dammit.. Stop it!" he growled as he tried to keep the writhing form in place on the futon.

"I was willing to sell my soul for you! But that's not enough, is it, you damn tengu?!" Kantarou thrashed his head wildly from side to side as he tried in vain to break hold of the tight grip holding him down. "What does it take for you to show your face, you bastard?!"

Haruka hissed out in pain when the human's short nails clawed against the skin of his forearms. He could feel his blood sliding down his wrists and making his grip too slick to keep hold of the struggling arms. "Dammit.. I don't have a choice..." He glanced over his shoulder towards the door. "Youko! Get the rope! Quickly!" he shouted before shooting his attention back to the vicious snarls his master was giving. "Kantarou... Have I really hurt you this much..?"

Kantarou's eyes were now filled with so much unbridled rage that it almost hurt. Those weren't the beautiful sparkling orbs that had been given to him. Those were eyes of a madman. "You.. You're not my Kantarou." he grunted as he held on tighter to the struggling form.

The sound of rushed footsteps were nearly drowned out by the animalistic growls, but soon Youko entered with two coils of rope in her arms. The moment she saw the state of her master she gasped and nearly dropped the rope. "He really has gone mad.. Haruka-chan, what do we do?!"

"We.. We need to restrain him before he hurts himself.." Haruka's eyes darted around quickly for anything that would be of use and soon spotted a table that had several of his master's papers and books. "There.. Youko! Clear off that table!"

This time Youko did drop the rope coils as she dashed for the low table. Her arms swept over every inch, knocking the books and paper off the flat surface. Ignoring the papers that fluttered to the floor, she ripped the blankets that were scattered around the futon and quickly placed them over the table so Kantarou wouldn't bruise himself on the hard surface. "Ready, Haruka-chan!" she called out while moving for the ropes.

With a fast jerking motion, Haruka pulled the human into his arms and lifted him from the floor. The curses and growls nearly pierced his already sensitive hearing as he carried Kantarou to the table. The moment he sat the fighting body on the covered table one of Kantarou's hands broke free from his grip. He didn't have time to react when he felt a pain streak across his right cheek. A growl left him, but he focused on only restraining the human to the table. "Youko! Tie him to the table!"

Youko instantly had a loop of the rope around Kantarou's freed wrist and forcefully tugged it down. "Haruka-chan! His other arm!" Once the other wrist was within her reach she bound the two wrists together before lifting them above the silver head. She made quick work of wrapping the rest of the rope around the two table legs at the end to tether the pale arms in place. "Okay! I've got them! Hold down his legs!"

Shifting to his master's lower half, Haruka grabbed both the flailing legs and forced them to lay flat on the table. "Shit.. I can't believe he still has this much strength.." he grunted when he narrowly missed getting kicked in the jaw. It took another minute before the kitsune finally had the human's ankles tied down to table legs, but the moment she did the two of them backed away from the table to catch their breath.

Kantarou was still struggling violently against the ropes. It was bound to leave painful burns on his wrists, but they didn't have time to cover them. They were too overwhelmed by the foul words coming from the pale lips to even register much else.

"You damn youkai took everything from me!! I should have left you all to burn! You never deserved my devotion! What the hell have I ever gotten from any of you?! What have I gotten in return for my pain?! My blood!? You're the reason everyone left me behind! You're the reason why I was hated! You did this to me!! You made me this way!" Kantarou screamed as he fought against his restraints harder than ever.

When she saw the blood that was beginning to stain the ropes that tied his wrists together, Youko felt herself choke as she hid behind the tengu. "Haruka-chan.. Is.. Is that how he really feels?"

Haruka was quick to hold onto the kitsune tight and shield her from the sight of their raving master. "No.. That's not Kantarou. It's the fever, Youko. He doesn't know what he's saying." he told her gently.

Youko wanted to hold on tight to the tengu and try to block out the words, but she picked up the scent of another's blood. When she pulled away she gasped on seeing the crimson rolling from the cut on the demon eater's face. "Haruka-chan! You're bleeding!"

It was then that Haruka noticed the stinging on his face and his forearms. "I know... He caught me a few times. His nails are sharper than I thought."

"Hold on, I'll get some bandages!"

Haruka wasn't able to protest quickly enough as the kitsune ran out of the room. Left alone with his master, Haruka glanced back to see that the human had stopped the struggling. He was now gasping raggedly for breath as more whimpers left his throat. "Kantarou..?"

The flushed face was in a grimace of intense pain. "No.. I'm sorry.. I didn't mean it.. Pleased don't hurt me.. I'm not bad.. Please don't.. I didn't mean to! Mother! Please stop! No! Mother!" A sharp agonized cry left Kantarou as his back arched tightly off the blankets beneath him.

Seeing the pain that ripped through his master's form made Haruka's chest feel as if it was ready to burst open. He moved to the writer's side and knelt down next to the table. "Kantarou.. What can I do..? Please.. Tell me.." he begged, clutching tight to the robes that were falling from the sweat slicked skin.

Kantarou's breaths were now harsher and more pain riddled than before Sugino's healing. His throat was more than likely raw from the sharp screams. But even though the screaming stopped, the human seemed to still be locked within whatever nightmare was playing through his mind.

Weak sobs were strangling him as more tears fell. "I don't want to do this anymore... It hurts.. I want it to stop.. Please make it stop.. I don't want to see them anymore... Make them go away..."

The more his master spoke, the more Haruka felt his heart breaking. "All my strength, and I'm helpless..." he muttered through his clenched teeth.

"Haruka..."

The tengu knew he shouldn't let his hopes rise too high, but he still looked towards his master and held his breath. "Kantarou..."

That dead gaze was still staring at nothing, but now there was a strange little smile on the chapped lips. "Haruka... Rip my heart out slowly... I want to feel you hold it in your hand.."

Haruka felt his own heart stop as the invocation of his name made his body twitch. "No.. No, stop it!" He clamped his hands over his ears and forced himself to back away from the table. If Kantarou kept saying such gruesome things then he would be compelled by their contract to obey. He could already feel his hands wanting to carry out the command. _'He's going to make me kill him if he keeps up these fever induced rants!'_

He sensed the kitsune returning and quickly looked towards her. "Youko! You need to gag Kantarou! Quickly!"

Youko nearly tripped at the sudden order, and became wary. "What's going on, Haruka-chan?" Her gaze shifted towards the bound human. "But Kan-chan looks like he's calmed down..."

The tengu let out a growl and backed away further from the table. "He's started rambling.. He's trying to order me to hurt him.. Quickly! I can't hold back on another direct order!" he growled sharply.

Hearing that desperate edge to the tengu's voice was all it took to convince Youko. She pulled a handkerchief out of her kimono sleeve and rushed to her Master.

A gravelly chuckle left the human as his head suddenly turned towards the tengu. "Haruka... That was an ord-eermph!" his words were cut off when the light blue cloth forced its way between his teeth.

Youko tied off the handkerchief behind the silver head and jumped back to avoid another fit of violent struggles against the ropes. She gasped for breath and bit at her lower lip at the monstrous sounds that Kantarou was making. "Kan-chan..." There was nothing more she could do for him, so she moved to the bandages that she had dropped in her haste. "Haruka-chan.. This is supposed to be as bad as it will get, right?" she asked while motioning for him to come to her.

Haruka was able to stagger towards the kistune and dropped to his knees in front of her. "I pray that it is... That was far too close..." he groaned. His muscles were still twitching and his head was splitting from refusing a direct order. He couldn't remember refusing causing this much pain. _'This feels different... Like.. It's not really the refusal hurting me...'_

The kitsune was already dabbing at the long scratch across Haruka's right cheek, but kept stealing worried glances towards their master. "This is too scary.. I've never seen Kan-chan like this.. It's like he's possessed.." she whispered.

"He very well may be, Youko.." Haruka muttered. "From what I've gathered working with him, a curse is sort of like a possession.. It's an evil force that takes control over some aspect of a life... At the moment, the curse has taken over his body and mind. Twisting it against him.."

"But Kan-chan said he broke the curse..." Youko pointed out as she carefully placed a bandage over the cut on his face.

"Yes, the part of it that was supposed to kill him. Apparently whatever is making him ill is still working its way through his body." Haruka let out a weary sigh and slumped forward a bit. "There's nothing more that we can really do... We have to keep him bound and gagged to keep him from hurting himself or making us hurt him."

Youko's visible ears flattened back, but she kept her focus on the arm she was bandaging. "He's supposed to be okay by morning.. Right?"

"Yes." _'If he was telling the truth..' _Haruka muttered inside his head.

The kitsune nodded. "We can make it. Everything will be fine. Kantarou's strong. He'll be back on his feet in no time."

Haruka kept silent as the white bandages were wrapped around the cuts on his forearms. He looked away from her and to the growling form of his master. 

_'I wish I had your optimism, Youko.. I truly do..'_

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

TBC

It's called Hell for a reason.

Later~


	5. Smile

What comes after hell?

Enjoy~

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Chapter 5

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Steeped in the tense silence of the fever's final night, Haruka was lightly leaning against the table his master was still tied to. The fits Kantarou fell into bounced erratically between unadulterated rage and heart wrenching sorrow. Occasionally punctuated by glares and noises that seemed simply evil. A few times he had been tempted to remove the gag to make out what the human was saying, but he knew he couldn't risk it.

He had managed to convince Youko to get some sleep a few hours ago, but he was fairly certain she was still awake. Listening closely in her room for any sounds that would signal a change of any kind. When Kantarou had finally worn himself out as night settled after half a day of rambling and struggling, Youko took advantage of the quiet moment to quickly bandage the severe rope burns and cuts that were a result of the human's resistance.

She even took great care in making certain that he had eaten before she agreed to rest despite the lack of appetite the tengu had.

Haruka didn't feel like doing much of anything. Not since Kantarou had fallen ill. He kept the writer in sight at all times as the sickness continued to claw at the human. Now he felt a strange need to be in contact with him. It nagged at him constantly until he could no longer resist touching him.

His hand lightly rested on the scar that marred the human's chest. He took comfort in the steady beat underneath the soft skin, and the way the narrow chest rose and fell with every rasping breath. It was an unconscious motion that everything living creature did, but Haruka had never known how meaningful a simple breath could be. The thought of that constant beat suddenly stopping and the chest growing still frightened him. Especially since there was so much he didn't know about his master.

He had no idea how old Kantarou even was. He knew he was older than Hasumi, but by how much? How much time did he really have left with the human if Kantarou did survive this curse?

"Not if.. When.. When, dammit.." Haruka growled to himself.

His mind still kept telling him that his master was a liar. Would it really be that far of a stretch to lie about his fate? He hadn't even told them about the curse in the first place. Why would he tell if it was bound to be fatal?

He didn't want to think such things, but it was a possibility. _'This.. Could be the last time I see him..' _

That thought was all it took. Suddenly the emotion that he had been fighting tooth and nail to hold back was cracking through. His eyes began to sting with tears as his throat tightened to the point of strangling him. Haruka leaned forward and carefully rested his head on the covered stomach. His gaze locked onto the circular patterns he was tracing on the soft skin with his fingers directly over the human's heart.

'_I want to feel you hold it in your hand...'_

A harsh chill rolled down his spine on recalling the gruesome command. It was worse than when the human told him to take the crimson eyes. Visions of red soaking every part of Kantarou continued to fly through his mind. _'Kantarou always said red was his color...' _he mused, unaware of the tears that slowly began to fall from his eyes.

His tear laden eyes slowly slipped shut for a moment. He took a deep breath and tried his best to remember every detail of his master. The mesmerizing depths of his eyes. The softness of his pale skin. The way the candle light made his silvery hair glow. His musical laugh, and his maniacal cackling after a particularly evil plan. The comfortable warmth from the small body that was slowly lulling him into sleep.

'_Wait a minute...'_

Haruka's eyes snapped open as he sat up straight. He looked closely at the human's face only to discover the fevered flush had diminished significantly. Holding his breath in anticipation, he lifted his hand and brushed away the sweat damp hair.

His eyes grew wide when the temperature was down to a more tolerant level. "His.. His fever broke... Does.. Does that mean it's over?" he asked the silence around him. The only thing that seemed to answer was the human's raspy breathing.

Since nothing was around to tell him otherwise, Haruka let out a deep breath of relief. "Dammit... Stupid human. You had me scared." Haruka muttered as he prodded lightly at Kantarou's side.

He was startled when the pokes provoked an annoyed grunt from the writer. Kantarou shifted uncomfortably on the table and groaned around the gag still tied in place. A light tug to both his bound arms and legs made the human stiffen slightly. His jaw seemed to move around the gag in his mouth as if he was trying to figure out what was going on. After a few moments, the dark lashes parted and crimson eyes moved around sluggishly.

When they finally settled on him, Haruka was relieved to see the recognition in the normal shining depths. "Kantarou?"

The pale brows furrowed in confusion, but Kantarou remained still. As if awaiting for an explanation.

He hesitated for a moment longer, but Haruka finally reached out and untied the handkerchief. After it was pulled from his dry lips, Kantarou moved his jaw a bit to work out the stiffness. After a soft pop and a grunt of discomfort, Kantarou looked back to his tengu. "Haruka...?" The crimson eyes widened slightly at the gravelly state of his voice. "What's going on? Why am I tied up? And why do I feel like someone beat the hell out of me?" he questioned, occasionally having to clear his throat to make the words sound correctly.

Haruka's heart rose and fell within an instant. On the one hand, his master seemed to finally be better. On the other...

"You don't remember?"

Kantarou frowned at how his questions were answered with another. "I.. Don't think I do... I was thinking that I was being offered up as a sacrifice to some random cult thing. But then I saw we're still at home..." A slow smirk suddenly curled his lips as his eyes had that evil glimmer. "Haruka... Were you trying to take advantage of me after a drunken stupor? How naughty." he teased on a chuckle.

The accusation would have literally ruffled Haruka's feathers if he wasn't completely thrilled to see that coy expression back on his master's face. "Heh.. No, I'm afraid that isn't the case. But now that you're okay, I'll untie the ropes."

"Now that I'm okay..?" Kantarou repeated in bemusement. He watched the tengu release his wrists, and hissed in pain as he brought his arms down to his chest. "Shit.. What the hell happened?" he asked, eyeing the bandages around his sore wrists.

Haruka moved to the other end and quickly untied the slender ankles from the table. "I'll explain later. Right now do you need anything?"

The consideration was a bit strange to Kantarou. As was everything else. When he winced as he tried to sit up, he was startled when Haruka was instantly by his side to help him. Once he was sitting upright on the table he tried to mentally take stock of himself. "Well.. My throat is killing me... And I'm starving.." he muttered while trying to work the stiffness out of his arms and neck.

He barely had time to stretch before he was suddenly scooped into a pair of strong arms. "Haruka_?_!" Kantarou yelped, his arms immediately wrapping around the tengu's shoulders.

Haruka took a deep pleasure in the way his master held onto him. "Just carrying you to the kitchen. I'll make some tea and explain what's been going on."

'_What the hell..?'_ Kantarou blinked at the kind gesture, but nodded silently as he held on. _'Why is he being so nice..? What the hell happened to me?_' As he was carried through his home towards his kitchen his eyes caught something strange on the tengu's neck. When he saw that it was a mark his eyes widened only to narrow deeply. _'Who the hell marked my Haruka?_!_'_ his mind growled.

He was ready to point it out and demand answers, but was stopped when the arms holding him tightened slightly. Drawing him closer to the tengu's strong chest. It was more than likely an unconscious gesture, but it made Kantarou's heart pound.

Deciding to let the matter slide for now, Kantarou let out a soft sigh and let his head rest on the strong shoulder. _'Enjoy it while it lasts...'_ he told himself silently. Relaxing into the embrace, Kantarou drank in the warmth that his precious tengu so readily offered.

'_Haruka...'_

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"So he doesn't remember anything, huh?"

Relaxing back on the warm roof tiles, Haruka folded his arms behind his head as he watched the fluffy clouds roll by. "Nothing. He doesn't even remember his friend contacting him for help at that village. It's like the last two week have been wiped from his memory." he answered quietly.

The news made Sugino frown as he leaned over to watch Kantarou seated on a blanket having tea with Rosalie and Youko in the back garden. The way the human was laughing and whispering something to the little girl made him tilt his head curiously. "So everything's back to normal? That's good." He glanced towards his friend expectantly. "Right?"

Haruka was silent for a moment before his eyes slid closed. "Yeah. Everything's good."

The complacent tone made Sugino's eye twitch slightly. "Did you tell him everything?" When the demon eater's brow furrowed slightly, Sugino felt like throttling him. "You didn't tell him..."

"I told him what he needed to know, Sugino." Haruka's eyes opened and locked on a wispy cloud above him. "He was delirious. He had no idea what he was saying, or what he was doing. It doesn't matter because, as far as I'm concerned, nothing happened. Leave it at that."

The stubbornness that laced the cold words was enough to make the mountain god groan in frustration. "So that's it. You chalk it all up to the fever." Sugino shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, and let it out slowly. "Look... I'm not gonna tell you what to do... Hell, I probably should be cheering the decision you made on... But ignoring it is just going to make things more tense between the two of you." When he glanced back towards the black tengu he saw that he had Haruka's undivided attention. "You found out first hand how fragile his life really is. If you really plan on staying loyal to him for the remainder of his life, you have a bigger decision to make."

A frown formed over Haruka's delicate features as he sat up a bit. "What?"

Sugino folded his arms over his chest and looked back to the tea party in the garden. "Are you going to keep him at a distance, or are you going to be a part of his life?"

Haruka felt his chest tighten slightly. "Sugino?"

The mountain god met the confused gaze calmly. "There's no middle ground, Demon Eater. The two of you are bound by the name he gave you. You can either try to become a vital part of his life and see what happens, or simply serve him with nothing more than that name to guide your actions. Commitment or detachment. Companion or slave. The decision has been yours from the beginning." Sugino gave a slight nod towards the garden then pointed at the bewildered tengu. "You have to ask yourself now before the chance slips by you... Which path will you regret more when you watch him take his last breath?"

When it was put in such stark terms, Haruka forced himself to sit up and think seriously. His attention turned to the back garden when he heard his master's musical laughter accompanied by Rosalie's rare giggles. Kantarou was flat on his back in the grass with Rosalie's teddy bear slapped over his face like he had been attacked by it. Youko was ranting about something that clearly embarrassed her, but once she was done complaining she too was overcome by giggles.

Soon Kantarou was sitting up, and once the teddy bear was pulled away it revealed one of his radiant smiles. They were rare, but it was a sincere smile that always stole Haruka's breath away. _'If I never got to see that smile again..'_

The longer the demon eater was silent, the more Sugino wondered if he may have pressed things a bit too much. _'I really shouldn't get involved at all.. But after everything I saw... That human means more to him than I think he'll ever know..'_

"I think he would make a very beautiful tengu."

Sugino nearly fell over at the random statement. "Wait.. What?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

A slow smirk curled Haruka's lips. "I think Kantarou would make a beautiful tengu... With his pale skin and those ruby eyes..." He seemed to pause and nod as if he was agreeing with himself. "Yes. He would be quite the sight."

When the idea became lodged in Sugino's head, he found himself shuddering hard. "Ugh... Just picturing that psycho with that much power makes my skin crawl..."

Haruka's smirk seemed to grow as he nudged his friend in the side lightly. "You don't agree that Kantarou would make a good tengu? Come on.. What kind of robes do you think he would have with those pretty white wings?"

It was clear that the demon eater wanted him to play along, so Sugino let out a weary sigh and took a long look at the frustrating human. He tried to get an image of what Kantarou would look like, and for some reason it was surprisingly easy to picture. "Red... He would be wearing lots of red and silver. With several strands of prayer beads around his neck and wrists."

The description had Haruka raising a brow. "That was a bit specific. Have you thought about this before?" he teased lightly.

"What_?_! No! I.. I just mean.. That's something he uses a lot! It only makes sense that he would carry them after the transformation!" Sugino yelped indignantly.

The quick answer had Haruka chuckling. "You always know how to cheer me up, Sugino."

He wanted to be pissed, but hearing the demon eater laughing again did brighten Sugino's own spirits. So he settled for blushing and glaring in annoyance. "That human is a bad influence on you.." he muttered.

To which Haruka readily nodded. "I know. I believe I'm beginning to like it."

Sugino frowned, but soon covered his face with his hands and groaned loudly. "Dammit.. The two of you are going to be the death of me.."

"You would only be so lucky." Haruka mused. Just to hear the growl it tore from the white tengu.

His gaze soon settled back onto his healthy master. _'Hm.. I think Kantarou's influence can be a good thing as well as bad.'_

When he heard that beautiful laugh once more, Haruka didn't care either way_._

He had his master back._  
_

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

TBC

Decisions, decisions.

Later~


	6. Together

I hope you've enjoyed my first Tactics story. Thank you for reading.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 6

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After a few days, it was as if nothing ever befell the arrogant folklorist. Things were back to normal. Or at least as normal as it got for them. Kantarou returned to his evil manipulating little self. Youko returned to nagging the writer and complaining about how she was worked to the bone. And Haruka merely did as he was told, making snide remarks whenever the situation called for it.

Business as usual.

However as the days passed, Haruka thought frequently over the advice that Sugino had given him. The way it was said made it seem so simple, but Haruka knew it was anything but. He had no idea what to really do or say. He understood every point the mountain god made, but it wasn't so clear cut for him. Each choice had a multitude of consequences. Some he shuddered to even consider.

It always came back to the final question Sugino offered him.

'_Which choice would I regret more..?'_

Every time he asked himself the less certain he was about his answer. How could he possibly know which choice he would regret more? You don't regret something until after you've done it.

'_Then again.. Doing nothing is another choice... Would I regret doing nothing?'_ After a moment Haruka immediately nodded. He knew he would regret standing idly by and not making a decision either way. "Well.. That's one decision out of the way... Now what the hell do I do?" he muttered to himself in annoyance.

When only silence answered him he frowned and let himself flop back onto his futon. He was spending a lot of time in his room, like he always did when he was trying to figure out the troubles in his life. It sort of felt like he was sulking, which only agitated him. He was an all powerful tengu. He wasn't supposed to sulk.

"But here I am.. Sulking... Dammit, I am pathetic..." he grumbled to himself as he curled up in the sunlight that poured through his window right onto his futon.

He enjoyed watching the light that reflected off his many glass trinkets and made them sparkle. The shining lights eventually led to his memories of his master's eyes in the midst of that horrible fever. How he loved to look into those sparkling eyes. Though they didn't sparkle like they once had, he still enjoyed the life that seemed to shine within them. Whenever he could, he would watch those crimson depths and relish the secret knowledge that they belonged to him. Only Sugino knew his secret, and even though Kantarou didn't remember, Haruka still thought of the ruby eyes as his. It always made him smile on the inside whenever those eyes locked onto his own. It was a treasure that he had to enjoy in brief glances. Which seemed to make it all the more special.

The warmth and thoughts of his most precious possession was about to lull him into a light doze, but he was shaken from it when he heard his door begin to slide open. He frowned at the intrusion, but kept still and made himself ready to glare and growl at whoever was trying to disturb his peaceful moment. The growl died on his lips when his gaze met twin crimson. "Kantarou?"

The writer froze on seeing the tengu in his bed and immediately shrank back as if readying himself for a scolding. "Haruka.. I.. I thought you were out.." he seemed to stammer.

The nervousness in his master's voice was odd, but Haruka's attention quickly shifted to the box that the pale hands tried to hide miserably. "I came back and just climbed through my window... Why were wanting to come into my room while I was away?" he asked suspiciously. He still didn't fully trust this human, but he had to admit his schemes made things interesting.

A strange blush dusted over the pale cheeks as Kantarou shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Well.. I.. I had gotten you something..." he started slowly as he held up the box. "I.. Was going to leave it for you to find later, but.. Since you're here.. I guess I'll just give it to you now." he pieced together slowly. His gaze dropped to the threshold and he began to crouch down. "I'll just leave it here.."

"Wait."

Kantarou lifted his head to see the tengu sitting up straight on his futon with a curious expression on his face. "Yes, Haruka?"

Haruka motioned for the writer to enter his room. "Is it something I need for an upcoming case?" he questioned as he attempted to figure out what was going on with the human's strange behavior.

"Ah.. No.." Kantarou hesitantly stepped into the room and carried the box to the seated tengu. "It's... A gift."

"A gift?" When Kantarou nodded and held out the box to him, Haruka wasn't sure what to say. He carefully took the fair sized box from his master and looked at it with a puzzled expression. "Is there any reason?"

The human rubbed lightly at the back of his neck as he glanced away uneasily. "It's.. It's to thank you... Youko told me how you never left my side... Even though I don't remember..." Kantarou looked back to the deep eyes watching him. "It means a lot to me that you stayed.. I've been looking around for a while for something that might work, and I think I found something you will like."

"I see..." Haruka looked at the box for a moment then back to his master. "May I open it now?"

Kantarou blushed once more and gave a slight cough. "Actually.. I was still wanting to sort of surprise you.. Would you mind covering your eyes while I put them up?"

'_Them.. So it's more than one?'_ Haruka nodded slightly and handed the box back. "Alright. When should I uncover my eyes?"

"You can once I leave the room. I won't take long."

Although he was still a bit suspicious, Haruka bowed his head and covered his eyes with his hands. He soon heard the lid of the box being removed and the sound of glass gently clinking together. _'From the pitch it sounds fragile... He's carrying it to my window...'_ He could hear more clinking and sound of something gently being tapped into wood. He heard the process being repeated one more time, the then soft shuffling of feet to his door. The sound of his door sliding shut was followed by footsteps that trailed off down the hall.

Once the footsteps faded, Haruka slowly lowered his hands from his face. His eyes cracked open, but he immediately became confused when he saw hundreds of red and prismatic dots of light covering his room. "What the..." He lifted his head towards his window only to freeze in alarm when he caught sight of what had been hung there.

Hung from his window frame by strings of red and clear crystal beads were two blown glass ornaments made of the most brilliant red glass that he had ever seen. The crystal beads sparkled and shined with the light and the twin delicate glass balls seemed to glow as they cast a red hue over Haruka's bed. It dazzled him into a state of awe to the point he wasn't aware when he finally moved to stand. His right hand was trembling slightly as he carefully took one of the delicate glass ornaments into his grasp. He could tell the glass was very thin, but the color was so captivating that he had to remind himself to breathe.

"It... It's the same color as his eyes..." he whispered as he held the ball of glass up to the light. The glass ball fit comfortably in his hand, and the warm red glow that spread over him from the light of the sun made a smile slowly curl onto his lips. "Beautiful..." he whispered as he admired his newest treasure in silence.

His eyes began to sting as his emotions were stirred once again, but this time for an entirely different reason. He was happy. His master had given him something far more precious that the human probably realized. It was like Kantarou found a way to actually give him the beautiful red sparkle that he loved so dearly.

Such a gift from his master made his chest ache. "Maybe.. A part of him does remember?"

Suddenly the urge to be near the human gripped at him tightly. After releasing the glass ornament carefully, Haruka moved to his door. He quickly made his way down the hall to the stairs, but when he reached the sitting room he was surprised when the human wasn't anywhere to be found. "Kantarou?"

"Kan-chan went out."

Haruka looked towards the back door to see Youko walking in with a basket full of freshly dried clothes from the line. "He went out?" he repeated with a frown.

The kitsune nodded and shifted the heavy basket in her arms. "Yeah, he seemed like he was in a hurry too. It was kinda strange, really." she mused with a thoughtful frown.

The tengu was about to frown as well, but his eyes caught on a thin silver bracelet that was on Youko's right wrist. "Is that a new bracelet?"

Youko instantly beamed as she placed the clothes basket on the table in the sitting room. "Isn't it pretty? Kan-chan gave it to me this morning. Look, it even has a cute little fox charm on it!" she chirped while holding out her wrist for inspection.

Haruka took hold of her delicate wrist and examined the small silver charm in the shape of a sitting fox. "It is pretty... He gave something to me just a few minutes ago, too. Said it was a thank you gift."

When her wrist was released, Youko tilted her head to the side curiously. "He said he had been looking for something special for you. Can you tell me what he got you?"

"Two red glass ornaments with some crystal beads. He hung them in my window before he left. They fill my entire room with little sparkles of light." Haruka described, still feeling a faint tingle down his spine from just recalling it.

Youko's eyes grew wide as a happy smile lit up her features. "It sounds pretty. Seems like Kan-chan found the perfect thing for you."

"Yes..." Haruka glanced towards the front door as that urge to find his master tugged at his heart once more. "Did he say where he was going?"

"No, he just said not to worry about making anything for him for dinner. I'm guessing that means he won't be back until tonight." On seeing the strange look on the tengu's face, Youko began to frown in concern. "Haruka-chan...? Is something wrong?"

Shaking out of the daze he seemed to have fallen into, Haruka let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "No.. I.. Was just hoping to be able to talk with him for a moment..."

The wistful tone had Youko confused for a moment, but soon her eyes lit up with a knowing expression. "You know.. It's only been about five minutes.. He couldn't have gotten very far on foot. Why don't you try to catch up with him?"

Haruka was about to decline, but he paused when he noticed the strange look that the kitsune was giving him. "Why are you looking at me like that..?"

Youko smirked and lightly nudged the clueless tengu in the side. "Don't play dumb with me, Mr. Big bad demon eater. You've been giving Kan-chan gooey looks ever since he got better."

"Gooey looks..?" Haruka nearly balked.

"You know! Those little looks the girls give you all the time! If you were any more obvious, you'd have little pink hearts floating around your head with sparkly bubbles." Youko accused with a wide grin.

Haruka felt his cheeks begin to heat up, but stiffly turned away before the kistune could see. "How absurd. I'm going back to bed." he muttered loudly.

Youko was still grinning as she placed her hands on her hips. "Have it your way. Still, it'd be a real shame if that new school teacher got a hold of him. She's been trying to butter Kan-chan up for a while now. In fact I think he was heading in the direction of the school when he left. I wouldn't be surprised if she was hanging all over him right about now." she called out a bit louder than really necessary.

When the sound of Haruka's footsteps suddenly stopped, Youko smirked and began counting down. _'5... 4... 3... 2... 1...'_

A blur suddenly shot out of the hallway and towards the front door. Youko had to stop herself from giggling as the tengu quickly put his shoes on. "Go get him, tiger!" she cheered, ignoring the several grumbled curses he threw her way before the door opened and slammed shut.

Now alone, Youko had an infinitely pleased smile on her face.

"About damn time."

In the air before his feet ever touched the road, Haruka flew high into the sky to hunt down his master. For some reason his heart was pounding and this weird possessive instinct was telling him to locate the writer fast. Just the thought of that bombshell of a school teacher latching on to his Kantarou made his teeth grind.

"I'll rip that harpy apart if she even looks at him.." he muttered as his eyes continued to scour the land.

It took him a moment, but he soon spotted the red hakama heading in the direction of the school. A growl rumbled in his throat as made a sharp dive.

On the ground, Kantarou slowly shuffled along the road, his gaze cast down on the ground passing beneath his feet. His mind was churning with several different thoughts, but a sharp nervousness was causing him to ring his hands tightly in his sleeves. "What if he doesn't like them..? I probably made a fool of myself.. He thinks I'm an idiot.." he mumbled to himself as his expression fell.

He barely took note of the children that were suddenly rushing around him, yelling and laughing at the end of their school day.

"Ichinomiya-san!" a voice seemed to squeal nearby.

Kantarou lifted his head and blinked in alarm when he suddenly got a face full of cleavage. "Ah.. Sumiko-san... Isn't it a bit early to let out classes..?" he asked while glancing at the clock above the school entrance.

The raven haired woman giggled a bit over eagerly as she seemed to press her too visible chest further into the writer's personal space. "It's only a half day today... Quite lucky since I've been meaning to have a chat with you, Ichinomiya-san.." the highly underdressed teacher seemed to purr.

Feeling his right eye twitch, Kantarou attempted to back away before he was sucked into the low neckline of the woman's pink blouse. "I'm afraid I'm not in the correct frame of mind for that kind of chat, Sumiko-san..."

"That's okay. We could always skip the chitchat..." Sumiko giggled as she attempted to close the space between them.

Kantarou tried to step out of reach, but his back suddenly collided with something solid. Startled, he glanced back and gaped at the scowl on a certain tengu's face. "H.. Haruka? Wh.. What are you doing? Hey! Wait! Haruka_?_!" Kantarou yelped helplessly as he was suddenly flung over the tengu's shoulder like a sack of grain.

Ignoring his master's struggles, Haruka held him tight with his right arm while pointing rigidly at the woman with his free hand. "You ever touch him, you die. Got that?" he growled sharply.

The woman teacher swallowed hard at the serious gleam she saw in his eyes and was quick to nod. "Got it..." she squeaked, frozen to the spot.

Without sparing her another glance, Haruka stiffly turned and carted his master away.

Bewildered at this point, Kantarou decided to stop struggling and see what his tengu was up to. So far the treatment wasn't so bad since the position gave him an excellent view of Haruka's backside. The thought made him snicker in amusement.

"What's so funny?" Haruka asked on a grunt.

"Nothing. I've just never been treated to a view of you at this angle before." Kantarou was able to get out in a somewhat even tone. His giggles turned into an indignant squeak when he felt something pinching his ass. "Haruka!"

Hearing his name cried out like that made a little smirk cross the tengu's lips. "I don't think I ever thanked you for giving me such a nice sounding name." he mused aloud, ignoring all of the stares he was earning from the other pedestrians moving along the streets.

Kantarou also noticed the gaping looks they were receiving, but he found himself unable to care. "It's the only name I ever considered... Even before I found you, you were always Haruka to me." he answered as a smile formed on his own lips.

"Hm... Good thing for me you're so damn stubborn."

"Stubborn as hell and twice as feisty!" Kantarou readily chirped. "Now speaking of Hell, where the hell are you taking me? I'm starting to get dizzy back here."

"First away from all these annoying humans. That woman looked like she was going to eat you." Haruka snorted, still pissed at the trashy teacher.

The growl he heard made Kantarou laugh. "I'm certain her buxom bosom would have devoured my head if my winged knight hadn't swooped in to my rescue. Although from the way you're treating me, I'm wondering if you aren't planning to make a tasty snack out of me." he teased, lightly poking at the conveniently placed tengu bottom.

Haruka promptly swatted the upturned rear just to hear the yelp it provoked. "I'm still deciding. You just behave."

"Me? Behave? Pfft. Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a picture of innocence and light, dammit." Kantarou stated before promptly groping Haruka's ass.

Nearly tripping at the sudden grab, Haruka hissed through his teeth and quickly darted into an alley between two large buildings. Behind one of the buildings, he moved for several stacks of crates and deposited his master atop one that would have them at eye level. There he simply looked into those red eyes he couldn't get out of his head. They were wide open and once more watching him with a barely contained wonderment. Something he hand missed more than he had realized.

Kantarou remained silent as his tengu simply looked at him. He was completely thrown by the strange behavior, but he bit back the questions he wanted to ask. There was something in Haruka's eyes that was different. An almost possessive energy rolled off of him. It was strong enough to make him want to blush, but instead he decided to see what would happen.

He had thought that his master would be ranting by now about the way he was treated, but, to Haruka surprise, the human seemed to be waiting on him. He had counted on trying to match wits before dealing with this subject, but the silence and expectant look in those ruby eyes were forcing him to skip ahead. It made Haruka realize that his impulsiveness was only going to take him so far. He had to make a decision.

"Kantarou... I... When you were sick.. Something.. Happened." he pieced together slowly.

The silver head tilted slightly, but Kantarou said nothing. _'This would be cute if it didn't seem so serious.'_

'_The one time I want him to babble, and he shuts up on me..'_ Haruka groaned internally. He suddenly turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose tight. "Dammit... Why can't this be easier?" he grumbled under his breath.

"Hm, it wouldn't be life if it was easy." Kantarou called out. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them as he watched his tengu. When he saw the tension in the tall frame he gave a soft giggle. "I could order you to say it, if it's proving such a strain." he teased.

Haruka actually gave the idea thought. "Hn.. That would probably move this along faster.."

"I was only joking. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." Kantarou encouraged gently.

On hearing that, something in Haruka's mind clicked. His hand lowered from his face as the words came spilling out. "No.. That's what I've been doing wrong..." He turned around to focus his attention on his master. "I've been taking too much time... Assuming that you'll always be there for when I get around to it."

A concerned frown creased Kantarou's brow. "What do you mean?"

The dark head bowed as Haruka clenched his fists tight. "You kept getting worse when you were sick.. There was nothing I could do. Here I am, the strongest among youkai, and I was helpless to even ease your pain by a fraction... It scared me. I knew you told me you would get better, but I.. I thought I was going to lose you."

Crimson eyes widened when there was a thickness in the tengu's voice. "Haruka.."

"No.. Let me finish while I still have the will to.." Haruka interrupted quietly.

Although his concern was building, Kantarou bit his lip uneasily to keep from asking any more questions.

Now that he had the writer's undivided attention, Haruka felt his resolve weaken in the silence. A sharp bite to the inside of his cheek forced him to focus as he took a deep breath. "I.. You told me a lot of things... Made me promise you things that I'm uncertain if I should keep to... But you kept saying how you were sad that you wouldn't remember..."

Kantarou felt his throat go dry when Haruka trailed off. "I wouldn't remember what?"

Haruka felt his voice leave him again, but he struggled to get it back. When it was proving too slow, a deep growl rumbled in his chest. "Hell with it..."

The tengu was suddenly directly in front of Kantarou within the blink of an eye. Startled, Kantarou was about to pull back when a strong pair of hands cupped his face. Those impossibly deep eyes filled his vision, but when a warm touch brushed over his lips he immediately forgot how to breathe. _'Haruka...?_!_'_

Feeling the unresponsive tension that stole over the small frame, Haruka mentally winced at his rashness. His eyes slid shut as he pressed his forehead to the one crowned with silver. "I'm sorry, Kantarou... I've been a horrible companion to you... Please forgive me..." he whispered before pulling away.

Just as his hands slipped off the pale cheeks, a firm grip caught both of his wrists. Haruka's eyes snapped open only to widen when he saw his master's bowed head. The slender shoulders were trembling faintly, and for a moment Haruka feared that he had done something wrong. "Kantarou?"

"Shut up..."

The weak words felt like a slap to the face. Haruka gritted his teeth when he caught sight of the tears rolling down the suddenly flushed face. _'Why can I do nothing but hurt him..?_!_'_

His dismay was abruptly turned into confusion when the hands holding his wrists loosened. He watched closely as those delicate fingers moved to smoothly twine with his own. They squeezed gently before they were pulled up to the writer's face. There he felt his heart threaten to crack when those soft lips placed a tender kiss to each knuckle on both of his now quivering hands.

Able to sense the confusion from his tengu, Kantarou took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Haruka... My entire life.. I've only wanted one thing." The silver head lifted and his eyes immediately locked with the ones watching him. "You."

The single word combined with the shimmering ruby eyes that seemed to silently worship him made Haruka's entire world crumble around him. Everything he knew or thought he wanted suddenly didn't matter. Nothing seemed capable of comparing to this feeling of utter awe that stole over him.

He held tight to the hands holding his and leaned in closer. "There's probably a more romantic location for this... But I don't want to waste any more time..." he mumbled as a smile slowly curled his lips.

Kantarou beamed happily at the tengu. His Tengu. "What are you talking about? I have the most beautiful view right in front of me." He released one of the larger hands and brought his own up to gently cup the Tengu's cheek. "You don't have to worry, Haruka... I'll never leave you. Nothing will change that."

Haruka readily leaned into the touch and smirked at the human. "I know.. Because no matter where you go, I'll follow you. You're stuck with me, troublesome human. "

The way it was playfully growled had Kantarou giggling. "Bossy Tengu. I'll deal with you later."

"I'd rather you deal with me now." Haruka purred before closing the space between them.

As their lips met everything seemed to fall neatly in place.

They knew where they stood.

They knew where they belonged.

Together.

_fjfjfjfjThe End fjfjfjfj_

.

_Author Note:_ The glass ornaments that Kan-chan gave Haruka are called 'witch balls'. Crude name, but it's an item used in olde English folk lore that is hung by a window or door to ward off evil spirits. The beauty of the glass drew in negative energy and trapped it inside. They are still made today if you want to check them out.

Anyway, I hope to write more for this fandom in the future.

Thank you again for reading.

*bows*

Later~


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